Only Half Weasley
by Allison Carroll
Summary: What can you do when you shut yourself from your family, marry a muggle, and lie to your daughter about your life? Send her to Hogwarts, of course! As Ginny tries to sort her life, her halfblood daughter Holly tries to fit into this ambiguous, new world..
1. Prologue: Part 1

_**Only Half-Weasley **_

**A/N: **This was supposed to be the sequel to "The Adventure Continued," but there were too many plot holes to be filled, so I decided to make it a separate story. However, there are some links between the two so if you read something that sounds familiar then you know why. I hope you enjoy this!

* * *

"So, what do you want for dinner tonight, Gin-bug? Roast beef or liver and onions?" Alex Miller called humorously across the kitchen to his red-haired wife. Ginny was sitting at the dining room table absorbed in a letter and didn't realize her husband had said anything until she was attacked with kisses a moment later.

"What?" Ginny asked, finally tearing her brown eyes away from the piece of parchment. "Oh. Dinner? I'm sorry, Hun, I forgot to tell you! Mum invited me over to dinner tonight. It's Harry's twenty-first birthday and I guess we're celebrating it."

"Harry?" Alex repeated, raising an eyebrow as if deep in thought. "Who's Harry? Anyone I should worry about?"

Ginny laughed, one that went from her stomach to her eyes and lit up her face. "No, Alex," Ginny answered. "He's my brother's best friend and almost a brother to me. I have known him since I was ten, but he went away last year on a trip and I haven't seen him since. I kind of want to go."

Alex sat down next to his wife and looked stared into her eyes. "Have you told your family about me, yet?"

Ginny turned crimson red with embarrassment and shook her head. "No, I haven't," she confessed. "I just haven't gotten around to it yet."

"You're not embarrassed about me, are you?" Alex questioned again, stilling staring at her although Ginny was now staring at the letter in her hands and fingering the engraved lines from the quills. Her brown eyes reflected an unfamiliar sense of fear that Alex quickly picked up, but still could not comprehend.

"No, of course not," she denied casually. "I just don't think they would understand."

"Understand what? That we eloped?" Alex persisted, getting irritated with Ginny's short answers.

"No!" Ginny retorted, looking squarely at her husband. "And yes. My parents are old-fashioned, Alex. They just wouldn't understand. I'm their baby; their only girl. Don't you think they would have wanted to be involved in our wedding plans?"

Alex grabbed Ginny's hands and held them tight in his firm grip. "Gin-bug, when we got married, you agreed that it was for the best that your parents didn't know. Now, you've changed your mind. What do you really want?"

Ginny met Alex's eyes and read the pleading look he gave her. He wanted to be given the chance to meet her family, to make a good impression, and to be free of their secrets. Alex's parents knew about their surprise wedding and accepted their decision- why couldn't they let Ginny's parents know?

However, Ginny felt the exam opposite, dreading the day her parents discovered her marriage. Alex's parents could understand their son's capricious nature because they had nothing to worry about. He was a Muggle- had no magical talent in his bones and knew nothing of Ginny's world. Alex was mostly oblivious to the strange things that happened around the two lovers- things that made Ginny so unique that Alex couldn't put a figure on why she was so special.

Ginny also knew that her parents would understand too well what had happened and would be furious. Ginny was the only child of the Weasley family to elope, with a Muggle no less, and it was something she wanted to keep from them, something she wasn't entirely proud of. Her wedding was an act of love and rebellion as she defied her family system and now she was dreading the day when she would be forced to face the consequences. Sure, the tale of her elopement would get out eventually, but she hoped that the longer she kept it from them, the better were the chances of her parents accepting it.

Yet, looking back into her husband's eyes, she couldn't help feeling that she owed it to him. She had met his parents and knew that his they simply adored her. Who was she to deny the same chance that Alex could have with her parents? "Alright, sweetheart," Ginny ran her hand through his silky, black hair. "I will tell them tonight, I promise. If they are willing to accept it, I will bring you over tomorrow."

Alex smiled and placed a kiss on his wife's cheek. "Good," he said, standing up. "Now, as for me, if you are going to spend your time at a birthday party, then I will be alone won't I? I think I'll go out with Jake tonight and we'll have dinner at a pub. You be good, Ok? If you need anything, you have my cell phone number. Bye, Gin." He kissed her soft lips, grabbed his black leather jacket, and walked out the door.

Ginny slowly got up from her chair and looked back at the letter that was from her mum. Her mum had also noticed the distance that Ginny had been keeping between herself and the Weasleys and was expressing her worries. It had been four months since Ginny had seen any member of the Weasley family and her long absence was beginning to be noticed.

Taking a warm sweater from her coat rack, Ginny approached the fireplace. She grabbed a handful of white-sand from a fake orchid plant on a nearby table and threw it into the fire. The fire burst into green life, waiting for Ginny to call out her destination. With a heavy sigh, Ginny cried, "The Burrow!" and jumped in her fireplace, disappearing among the roaring flames.

* * *

"Ginny!" A familiar female voice met her sudden appearance. Ginny fell to her knees in the kitchen of her childhood home and choked from the surrounding smoke. It had been ages since Ginny had used the floo-network for transportation and she was quickly reminded why she stopped using it. "Come on, Gin, get up!" Hermione called above her. "You're not going to die, you know."

"Well, look who it is! It's our favorite sister!" Ron greeted his sister sarcastically, lazily sitting at the table.

"Ronald!" Hermione cried, helping Ginny to her feet and patting her back. Ginny coughed again and the giant smoke cloud erupted from her mouth and made her want to gag. "You're Ok, Gin. Just breathe."

After a few more coughs, Ginny finally regained her breath and composure. She looked around the room at her family. Her father was sitting at the head of the table with her mother next to him. Then there was Bill and Fleur, the latter holding their five-month old daughter, Maria, followed by Charlie, the twins, Ron, Hermione, and Harry who ended the circle on Mr. Weasley's other side.

Ginny glanced slightly at Harry and what she saw made her heart skip a beat: hope. Harry was staring at her in awe and the light in his eyes showed that she was the obvious reason that he came to the burrow. Ginny's heart did a flip in response, but she quickly looked away from him. She was in love with Alex now, not Harry. She was married to Alex.

"Oh, why did Harry have to look at me like that?" Ginny thought to herself miserably, wanting to dismiss the him entirely. She smiled meekly at the rest of the family, while dusting herself off. "Hi," she greeted, unsure of what they thought about her long absence from the family.

"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley cried, coming over and squashing her daughter. "Oh, I am so happy you came! This just wouldn't be a party without you!"

"Hey!" Fred and George shouted angrily. "You never say that to us!"

Mrs. Weasley ignored her two sons and conjured an empty chair for Ginny to sit between Hermione and Harry. Ginny blushed slightly as she sat down between her two friends, one that she hadn't seen for a year and the other that was married to her dear brother and somehow, Ginny had lost touch with.

"So, where were we?" Charlie interrupted the awkward silence. "Oh Dad, did you hear about the new regulations in Romania? I think it will definitely affect the import and export of dragon blood…" The rest of the family joined in the conversation and the room was as noisy as it had been before Ginny's entrance.

Ginny grabbed a bowl and poured some hot, steaming stew. The smell reminded Ginny of her own poor attempts at cooking and brought back her homesickness. Suddenly, Ginny wished she had never left home in the first place.

"So, Ginny, what have you been up to?" Hermione asked her friend, sipping some of her own brown broth.

Ginny's stomach jolted slightly and almost spit out her own food. She grabbed her napkin and stuck it in front of her mouth before anything could come out.

"Are you ok, Ginny?" Hermione asked, looking concerned.

"Yes," Ginny responded, flattening her napkin on her lap. If only Hermione knew what she had been up to the last four months! "Oh, you know, working as usual. It's been busy at the Department of Mysteries," Ginny answered, hoping no one could read her mind. The rest of the family nodded their heads and Ginny let out her breath, almost laughing. She had deceived them! Perhaps she could do it again! But she had promised Alex that she would tell her parents that night; she just couldn't break her promise to the very person she loved.

"Yeah, the workload is getting heavier, isn't it, Gin?" her father agreed. "It seems like every day, there is a new problem to face!"

"Err…yeah, Dad," Ginny replied, keeping her eyes on her stew. Though the words sounded vague in her ears, her head was too busy hoping and praying that Harry wouldn't talk to her. She felt like a little school girl, again! So childish! Yet, if Harry didn't talk to her, then it might make it easier to tell him about her marriage. Perhaps he wouldn't be too disappointed with her and he could go find another girl to marry. The last thought made Ginny sick again: the thought of Harry marrying someone else. "He is supposed to marry you!" part of her brain told her. "Yes, but she is already married to an awesome person, isn't she?" the other part retorted.

"Have you been watching Quidditch lately, Ginny?" said Harry.

Ginny banged her head on the table and cried in frustration, "Knock on wood!"

The conversation unexpectedly died as every eye turned towards her again, each pair full of curiosity and confusion. "She's mental," the twins whispered in awe.

"Oh crud, did I say that out loud?" Ginny smiled nervously, turning a bright shade of red again. "I'm just joking. Is anyone else hot in here or is it just me? I think I need to go get some air. I'll be back." Ginny jumped up and bolted towards the back door and let herself out into the garden.

The starry, summer night was strangely cool for the end of July, but Ginny hardly noticed. She just kept walking across the grass until she found a pond at the edge of the forest behind the Weasley's house. She sat down under a tree beside it and let her head fall in her hands: how could she keep on going, lying to her family? What would Alex think of her when she came home and told him she didn't have the strength to tell her family one of the most important things in her life? "Why did I have to be so stupid?" Ginny muttered irritably.

"You're not stupid, Gin," Hermione's voice whispered in her ear. Ginny turned her head and saw Hermione kneeling next to her. "Can I sit here with you?"

Ginny shrugged and rested her head again. "I am stupid, Hermione," Ginny exclaimed. "I did something really stupid and now I can't even tell my family. How will he ever forgive me?"

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked, putting a hand on her red-headed friend's shoulder. "Maybe if you would talk to me, it would be easier. Harry will always forgive you, you know that-"

"It's not about Harry," Ginny quickly interrupted.

"Who else is it about?" Hermione asked calmly. "I can't imagine anyone not forgiving you!"

Ginny's eyes were on the brink of tears as she turned to her friend. "Hermione, you don't understand!" Ginny cried. "I have kept something from you that I should have told you months ago but I was so scared."

"You got fired from work?" Hermione guessed, eyeing her friend quizzically.

"No, Hermione, I'm married; I eloped," Ginny whispered miserably. Ginny could hear Hermione's sharp intake of breath and Hermione's grip on her shoulder tightened.

"When did this happen?" Hermione asked quietly.

"A couple of months ago," Ginny admitted, cowering under Hermione's piercing gaze. "His name is Alex Miller. I met him a year ago at a pub in London while I was on one of my assignments. He's a Muggle, though, and he doesn't even know about our world- that I'm a witch. I have been pretending for the last year that I'm a normal person to Alex and on top of that, I'm pretending to my family that I'm just a busy, working single girl! I just want to stop pretending!" Ginny shouted.

"Gin," said Hermione soothingly. Ginny squinted at her friend, more prepared for Hermione to shout angrily at her instead giving her the gentle reply. "Why don't you tell your parents? They would understand, wouldn't they?"

"Of course they wouldn't!" Ginny argued, groaning at the thought of telling her mum and dad. "They would much rather see me married to Harry. Instead, I went off and eloped with a Muggle. Do you think that's going to go over well?"

"I guess not," Hermione answered lamely. "I thought you loved Harry, though. I admit that I am shocked that you didn't choose to marry him instead."

A sad glaze had taken over Ginny's face and her eyes were misty with memories. "I thought I would, too, you know? Harry had always said that he truly loved me and I have loved him my entire life!" Ginny laughed, but the darkness brought about reality to her as she continued. "Harry left, though, Hermione. I didn't know when or if he was going to be back and when the chance came, I attached myself to someone else. Don't get me wrong, I do love Alex! I just have this hole somewhere in my heart where Harry belongs. I think the reason that I love Alex so much is that he reminds me of Harry- the same black hair, funny smile, and round nose. I figured that if I couldn't have Harry, I would settle for the next best thing. I wouldn't dare leave Alex, though. He has meant so much to me and I love his family."

Hermione sighed and took Ginny's left hand. "This is the ring, I suppose?" Hermione asked rhetorically.

Ginny nodded, looking at the beautiful diamond ring and band on her left ring finger. Ginny had loved it the moment she had set eyes on it and it was always a reminder that she was in love with Alex- not Harry. After all, hadn't Alex been there for her for the last year? Where had Harry been?

"You have a lot to be happy about, Ginny," Hermione commented, letting go on her friend's freezing hand. "I'm sure Alex is a great person and I hope I can meet him one day."

Ginny smiled fondly at Hermione. "You will, I promise. He has been dying to meet everyone. I have just kept postponing the moment when I tell my parents that I messed up."

"Marrying a Muggle isn't a bad thing, Ginny!" Hermione protested. "Look at me? I'm the daughter of two Muggles!"

"No, it's not, 'Mione," Ginny looked at her sister-in-law in the face, "but not following your heart is. Sometimes I think I should have waited for Harry."

Hermione looked sorrowfully into Ginny's face. "I wish you did, too. It would be great to have Harry in the family."

Ginny chuckled at the idea. "That's not a reason to marry someone!"

"No, but it was just a nice thought," Hermione smiled. "Come on, let's go back. I'm sure they have already cut the cake in there. Are you really planning on telling your parents, Gin?"

Ginny looked up into the sky thoughtfully and when she returned to earth, she shook her head. "No, not yet. It's Harry's birthday- I don't have the heart to disappoint him. Promise you won't tell anyone, will you?" Ginny prayed hopefully.

Hermione took a minute to think and then shook her head. "I'll leave it up to you," she finally answered. "It's your life- you can direct it anyway you go. I just think you're making a mistake the longer you prolong the task."

"I know," Ginny said, "but if Harry is happy and hopeful for one more day, than it would be worth the consequences."

Before entering back into the kitchen, Hermione caught the affectionate look on Ginny's face as she said her last sentence. Hermione couldn't help thinking that Ginny had made the biggest mistake of her life and didn't realize it. The young girl was so blindly in love that it might take years before she will finally understand her mistake or maybe she might never understand at all. "If only Harry hadn't left," Hermione couldn't help thinking before she followed her sister-in-law into the bright room where the rest of the family was sending their blessings to Harry.

* * *

"Ginny, is that you?" Alex called from the couch in their living room where he was lying across the cushions and watching the new television they had bought last weekend.

"Yes, Hun, it's me," Ginny answered, hanging her sweater up and sitting on top of Alex's legs. "Did you miss me?" Ginny asked, kissing him.

"Of course!" Alex laughed, and then added seriously, "Did you tell them?" Ginny bit her bottom lip and shook her head. "Ginny! You promised!"

"I couldn't tell them, Alex!" Ginny cried, tears falling down her cheeks.

"Ginny, you promised me that you would tell them. Why didn't you? Tell me the truth, Gin," Alex begged.

"I am so sorry, Alex, but it wasn't the right time," said Ginny, wiping the tears out of her eyes. "Everything just seemed to get worse and I didn't have the heart to tell them."

"What got worse?"

Ginny looked up at the ceiling as if she were recalling all the events that happened. "First, I fell out of the fireplace-"

"What were you doing in the fireplace?"

"I fell in it?" Ginny excused.

"So you fell into and out of the fireplace?" Alex questioned, looking confused and irritated at the conflicting events.

"Alex!" Ginny cried with equal frustration. "Can't we just give it up? My family will never accept us."

"They won't even know to accept us if you don't try, Gin!" Alex countered, looking coldly at his wife. "Maybe this marriage is a mistake. I can tell you're hiding a lot of things from me, Ginny, and I don't like it. I was open and honest with you when we got married and I expected the same from you."

"Alex!" Ginny cried, bursting into tears. "How can you say that!" Ginny ran to their dark room and flung herself onto the bed, burying her head in her pillow. "This is such a nightmare!" she thought. "Why can't everything be the way it used to be?"

"Gin-bug," Alex called softly. Ginny stopped crying and her body froze as she felt the bed fall under Alex's weight. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I shouldn't have said that. I just wish you were more open about your problems. If you are really having issues with your family, then I won't pressure you anymore. But please, Gin, at least be honest with me."

"Alex," Ginny got up and embraced her husband, "I'm sorry, too. I wish I could do this, but I can't be sure that they would be happy for me. Please, let me wait until I am ready, ok?"

Alex let go of Ginny and held her face in his hands. "Alright, Gin," Alex agreed and kissed her warm lips before the two went to sleep. Half of Ginny's brain was tired from her dramatic day, but the other half was busy thinking about what Alex said. Was their marriage really a mistake? Was Ginny really destined to marry the other person she had crushed since she was a little girl? Ginny felt Alex's strong arms around and realized that she had made her choice a long time ago. Harry Potter would have to find love somewhere else.


	2. Prologue: Part 2

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Prologue- Part 2

* * *

**_

**A/N**: Dear All: I lied. There will be three parts to this prologue. Why? Because this prologue is so long that I can't finish it in just one chapter. I have to have three now. Don't worry, though! I'm working as fast as I can on the next chapter. Hope you enjoy this for now )

* * *

"Do you think I look fat, Alex?" Ginny called from the bathroom, eyeing herself in the mirror. She pulled at her pants which tugged a little at the waist.

Alex was standing in the closet, fixing his tie, when Ginny asked the loaded question. He glanced at his wife's miserable expression and replied good-naturedly, "Of course not, Gin-bug. You look like an angel."

Ginny rolled her eyes at his comment and turned back to her reflection in the mirror. "Maybe it was all the biscuits I've been making," Ginny thought out loud.

"Possibly," Alex answered, a teasing smile playing on his lips. He looked over at his wife and his smile turned into a grin as he saw Ginny's expression change from curiosity to anger.

"You're not supposed to agree!" Ginny glared at him, putting the finishing touches on her hair.

Alex raised his hands in the air and stood in the doorway of the bathroom. "You asked, Gin!" Alex defended himself. "What do you want me to do? Lie? Besides, why are you concerned if you gained a little weight? You're thin enough as it is."

Ginny took a last look at herself in the mirror before she turned off the light and grabbed her coat. "Oh, I don't know," she sighed, slipping her shoes on. "I have been so stressed lately that I think it might be catching up to me."

Alex caught her in his arms and kissed her passionately. "You're letting your imagination run away with you again," Alex assured her. "You're absolutely beautiful. Are you feeling alright, though? You _do_ look pale."

Ginny felt the pit of her stomach squirm from the eggs and toast she ate earlier. "It might just be the food. I think those eggs were outdated," Ginny excused. "Maybe I have food poisoning or something."

"Then you should probably stay home from work," Alex suggest with concern in his eyes. "You could have that nasty flu that's been going around. I've had several patients come into my office this week with symptoms and I'm speculating another busy month."

Ginny looked sadly at the thought of having the flu. "I'll go into work and if I'm not feeling good, I'll come home," she compromised.

Alex nodded and kissed her on the forehead. "Call me if you do go home early. The last thing I want is for you being sick!"

Ginny giggled and pushed him out the door. Once she knew he was safely on his way to work, she grabbed her black robes from the closet and apparated to the Ministry where she worked in the Department of Mysteries. She had just gotten to her desk when her department head came in and tossed a few files on her desk. After reading the contents, Ginny presumed that it was going to be a busy day and one she didn't want to put off just because she was feeling a bit ill. The morning went by safely enough and when it came time for lunch, Ginny found Ron and Hermione eating lunch at the cafeteria.

"Hey, Gin," Ron smiled at his sister while Hermione embraced her. Ginny felt the weird sensation to vomit all over the pair, but used all her strength to keep it in. "Are you feeling alright? You look a little…green."

"No, I'm alright! Honest," Ginny lied, taking a bite of her salad. "Never mind, I'm not anymore." Ginny raced to the bathroom and in a few seconds, Hermione was kneeling beside her.

"Are you alright, Gin?" Hermione asked softly.

"Oh definitely!" Ginny answered sarcastically. "I just like to barf my brains out because I enjoy the feeling!"

"Come on, Ginny: let's take you to see the nurse," Hermione pulled Ginny off the ground and led her towards the door down the hall that read "Health Center."

The witch at the desk looked uninterested as she admitted the two into one of the private rooms and left them there. In a few, long minutes, a woman with graying hair and a bouncing personality walked in.

"Well, hello there, ladies! Fancy seeing you two in here!" the woman greeted them. She sat down in a chair opposite of Hermione and Ginny and looked at them skeptically. "Now, what seems to be the problem? You two look in perfect health."

"I look like I'm perfect health?" Ginny burst, her brown eyes almost popping out of their sockets. "I've got a headache, my nose is running, I just threw up in the bathroom, and I'm so green, I could blend in with the grass outside if I wanted to! What do you mean, I 'look like I'm in perfect health'?"

The woman scowled at Ginny, and turned to Hermione. "Well, it looks like your friend here has mono."

"What?" Hermione asked, shocked.

The woman nodded, pulling out two potions. "Either that, or she's pregnant."

"What?" Ginny cried.

The two sisters exchanged horrified looks. "You have mono!" Hermione cried.

"I'm pregnant!" Ginny answered.

The woman got up and handed the two clear, potions to Ginny. "Take this twice a day and you should be back on your feet in no time," the woman advised and stood up. "Well, I would love to stay and chat with you girls, but I have other patients waiting. Good luck! Get well soon!"

Ginny and Hermione followed the nurse out, both too stunned to speak. The woman walked into the next room where a wizard stood waiting impatiently.

"So, what seems to be the matter?" the woman asked while Ginny and Hermione passed by.

The wizard cleared his throat and said, "Well, I got hexed really badly…"

"Oh!" the woman cried in surprise. "Well, you must have mono; either that or your pregnant. Take these two potions and you should be ok."

"Excuse me…?" the man answered, just as astounded as Ginny and Hermione were to hear it.

Ginny looked at Hermione, "Is she crazy?"

Hermione grinned evilly. "I think she's a quack. Well, I guess we've learned a lesson here: never go to the ministry health center."

Ginny laughed softly, but a haunted look still filled her face at the prospect of having mono and being pregnant. Deep down in her heart, she hoped the woman was wrong…absolutely wrong. "She had to be wrong! She just told a _wizard _that he was pregnant! That's not even possible! I hope..."Ginny thought fearfully.

Hermione eyed the potion in Ginny hand. "That stuff is still powerful, Gin," Hermione informed. "We use that for some illnesses. If you do have something, that stuff should take it out pretty quick. I suggest that you go home and take that potion."

Ginny nodded in agreement and turned to her sister, "Why didn't you just treat me, Hermione? You're a training healer, after all."

"Key word there: training. I'm not authorized to make treatments without a supervisor," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "Now, get a move on. If you get worse, just send me an owl."

Hermione left Ginny in front of her office, and made her way back to the Cafeteria. Ginny watched her friend's retreating back disappear in the elevator before she walked into her office. The folders were still sitting on her desk, waiting to be filled with random information that even Ginny couldn't figure out what it was for. This is common, though, when you are an Unspeakable. Most of these files could wait until the next day if needed and Ginny felt uneasy about staying longer with her stomach churning again. Leaving a note on the Department Head's desk, Ginny decided to take both Hermione and Alex' advice and go home.

The house was quiet when Ginny appeared as she expected. She picked up the phone and dialed Alex's cell, but only to get his voice mail. "Alex," she grumbled, hanging the phone back up. "Here you want me to call you and you're phone is off! I wish I could just send you an owl. I know _that _would get your attention."

Ginny felt her heart drop when she thought of owls. In marrying Alex, she had left most of the magical world behind her. Many of the conveniences that she grew up with were now only memories next to the labor that she put into keeping this house up. Next to that, it made it very hard to keep in touch with her family because an owl is the least likely thing a Muggle expect to show up at their door. Ginny's only connection with the Magical world was through her job at the ministry. Finding that she could hardly describe her world to Alex, let alone magic, she explained her job as working with a private company that emphasized in privacy. It wasn't entirely a lie and it kept Alex from questioning her work further.

Once relaxed on the couch, Ginny drank both potions in three gulps and instantly felt the drowsy side effects kick in. Her eyes drooping and her stomach feeling much worse, Ginny fell into a deep sleep that she didn't come out of until a few hours later when she heard Alex calling her name and felt him sit on her feet.

"Ow!" Ginny cried, feeling her legs crunch against each other underneath his weight. "Alex, go away!" Ginny hid her face in her pillow and took a deep breath.

"Why didn't you call me, Gin?" Alex asked with concern, running his hands through her soft, red hair.

Ginny groaned as a brown eye peeked out from its hiding place in the pillow. "I did call you! You have got to stop leaving your phone off!" Ginny cried.

"I'm sorry about that, Gin-bug," Alex apologized. "I had an emergency patient and didn't want any interruptions. Forgive me?"

"I could forgive you if I didn't have mono and I wasn't pregnant!" Ginny answered, turning her head to face her husband. "I threw up at lunch today! Guess what the nurse told me? 'You probably have mono- either that, or you're pregnant.' Then she said the same thing to the next man!"

Alex snickered a little, kissing Ginny's forehead. "The woman is obviously a quack!" Alex excused.

"But, Alex, I still don't know what's wrong with me and I feel awful! The pot- I mean, medicine that she gave me isn't working. What am I going to do?" she whined, rubbing her eyes. "Can't you prescribe something for me? Can't you make my headache go away?"

"Ginny," Alex chuckled as he sat back on the couch and released his weight from Ginny's legs. "I'll take you tomorrow to see another doctor, but you know that I can't prescribe anything without knowing what's wrong with you."

The red-haired girl moaned and rubbed her face in her pillow. "How about ibuprofen?"

"You know, Gin, you can't take that if you're pregnant," Alex teased, getting up from the couch.

"Give it to me," Ginny demanded, holding out her hand. "If I'm as sick and pregnant as the quack told me then I should be able to stand ten of those stupid, little pills."

"These stupid, little pills might save your headache," Alex reminded her, dropping two into her hand. "However, ten might render you unconscious and we can't risk that, can we?"

"Do you want to be unconscious?" Ginny threatened.

"Than again, I guess the world _will_ go round if Ginny isn't awake to see it," said Alex quickly, putting the bottle of ibuprofen back into the bathroom cabinet and settling in the kitchen to make dinner. In a few short minutes, the wonderful smell of chicken soup filled the room, but Ginny's unconscious body could hardly enjoy the smell. Ginny didn't notice either when Alex carefully picked up his lovely wife and rested her body on her side of the bed, her head comfortably placed on the pillow. "I love you, Gin-bug," he whispered in her ear.

* * *

When the clock sounded an alarm loud enough to wake the city, Ginny pulled her aching body to sit up in bed. "I'm not feeling any better, Alex," Ginny said, falling backwards into her comfortable pillow.

"Well, if you get up, I'll take you to see Dr. G," Alex answered brightly as if he was offering a real treat.

"That's not funny," she mumbled, pulling the sheets over her to protect her eyes from the bathroom light.

Alex walked over and pulled the sheets off of her and left her body to shiver in the cooler air around her. "I know you're feeling awful, Angel, but if you want to get better, you need to see a doctor. I know a few people who will be happy to take care of you, now come on!"

Ginny rolled over unconsciously off the bed and her body hit the solid floor with a boom. "Alright, I'm getting up," she announced, getting up off the floor despite the aching pain all over her body, "but if they can't help me, Alexander, then you will be to blame!"

"Then I'll take the blame," said Alex, watching his wife struggle to get dress. He was worried about her condition, but at the same time, he knew it couldn't be life-threatening as mono.

At eight o'clock, the two arrived at the office of Alex's friend and former co-worker, Dr. Gregory Batson. Greg and Alex had met while the two were in residency and became the best of friends, even while both started their own health clinics.

"Alex!" Greg greeted his old friend. "It's good to see you! Oh, and this must be your new bride? It's pleased to meet you." Greg held out his hand for Ginny, who just looked at it like he was crazy.

Alex, seeing Ginny's odd expression and discomfort, said, "We're not here for a social chat, Greg. Ginny has come down with something and the quack she talked to last night gave her a load of BS. She's now under the fear that she's pregnant and that she has mono, along with a few other guys she works with."

Greg snorted. "Is that all? Looks more like the flu to me, but let's have a look if you don't mind. And if will put your mind at ease, then you can take a pregnancy test to ensure that you're not pregnant."

Ginny smiled at the young doctor as she and Alex followed him into another private room, similar to the one at the ministry. After a few minutes of being poked, hit, and suffocated, Ginny was finished with her physical exam and Greg pulled his stethoscope out of his ears. "Like I said, it looks like another case of the flu, Alex," Greg announced, pulling out his prescription pad. "It's nothing to worry about yet. She's young and otherwise healthy, so a few of these pills and a shot could fix her right up. Do you want to take a pregnancy test, Ginny?"

Ginny looked quite confused at both Greg and Alex. "A what?"

"You know, a device that will determine if you are pregnant," Alex explained. Ginny still looked lost as to how she was to test for a pregnancy by the Muggle standard. She knew in the wizarding world, the technique was a lot simpler…but she had only been introduced to the real Muggle world only a year ago and some things were still new to her. "Come on, Gin, I'll take you to the bathroom."

Ginny looked from Greg to Alex and then followed the latter out of the room. After fifteen long minutes, both returned to the room with pales faces. Greg looked anxiously at both of them, waiting for them to speak. "Well?"

"She's pregnant," Alex declared with an uneasy laugh. "I'm going to be dad."

"That's great, mate!" Greg congratulated him, patting him on the back.

Ginny smiled wanly and looked to Greg with more concern in written on her face. "What about my flu? Am I still getting medicine to get rid of it?"

Greg looked down at his prescription pad and ripped up the note. "Sorry, Ginny, but these medications could harm the baby. Try riding this out for a few days and if you still feel awful, come back to see me next Wednesday."

Ginny's face fell as she followed Alex out of the office and into their car. "Ride this out!" she cried in exasperation. "I'm already drowning as it is! Why does he think we came there: for a social visit?"

"Ginny, calm down, it's not all that bad," Alex tried to comfort her, but instead receiving death glares. "Alright, so maybe it is. But as a doctor, I know that any of those medications could be harmful not just to the baby, but you, too. I care about you, Gin."

"I sure hope so," Ginny grumbled, patting her stomach. "You'll be a target for a bat-bogey hex if you don't."

"What?" Alex glanced at her in confusion.

"Never mind," Ginny sighed. "Just get me home."

* * *

BANG! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Hours after her visit with Dr. Batson that morning, Ginny had been getting some much needed sleep when an awful banging sound caused her small headache to throb. "Merlin's beard, please stop!" Ginny yelled in pain. "I'm coming!"

When she opened the door, however, it was to a rude surprise: Harry Potter stood in the door way, smiling and looking as hopeful as Ginny remembered a few weeks ago on his birthday. "Ginny," he greeted.

"Harry," Ginny groaned. "What are you doing here?"

"Are you ok?" Harry asked anxiously, examining her pale face, red eyes, and messy hair.

Ginny chuckled, pulling her blanket around her. "I wish," she muttered. "I've got the flu. I would invite you in, but I don't think you want-"

"It's alright, I'll come in," Harry interrupted her and stepped into the house. He looked around the living room and then over at the kitchen, all which were neat and clean the way Alex liked them. "This house is wonderful."

"Thanks," Ginny smiled. "I get help."

"You do?" Harry looked over at her.

Ginny winced, wishing she could have slapped herself in the face. "_Of course, he doesn't know about Alex_," Ginny thought to herself. "_Why did I have to say that?_"

"You know, magic," Ginny lied, instantly feeling guilty.

Harry nodded looking at the pictures on the mantle above the fireplace. "Who are the people in these pictures? Are they from Hogwarts?" Harry asked, looking at the pictures of Ginny and Alex and his family.

Ginny bit her lip and sat on the couch, "No, they're not," she announced. "The only person from Hogwarts in those pictures is me."

Harry's green eyes met Ginny's guilty ones and he picked up on the conflict going on under the mat of red hair. "Who are they, Gin?" Harry asked.

"It's…oh, how do I say this to you?" Ginny cried, tears coming down her eyes.

"You don't have to say anything," Harry responded quickly, sitting across from her. "It was only a question."

Ginny shook her head and her brown eyes peered at him between her fingers. "No, I have to tell you; you have a right to know," Ginny wiped her face. "He's my husband."

Harry felt the wave of shock vibrate up and down his body. When he came to see Ginny, he had intentions of possibly rekindling what they had before he left. Now, he wasn't sure how to act. "You're…married?" he replied with a very lost expression.

"I'm so sorry, Harry," Ginny apologized, trying to wipe away her tears as fast as possible. "I should have told you that first night a couple of weeks ago, but I couldn't do it- I couldn't tell you. I didn't want to see you disappointed."

Harry stared at Ginny in silence, at lost for anything to say. When he finally retrieved his thoughts, they were outraged: angry at Ginny, angry at himself, angry at everything that had ever happened to him to bring him to this point. "I have only been gone for a year and already you run off and get married to another man! Did you wait a week to make sure that I wouldn't come back? Or did you get married that night?"

Ginny flinched at his outburst, but the energy renewed her strength to continue. "No, I waited eight months!" she retorted, staring him straight in the eye with equal anger.

"Eight months? That sure is a long time, Gin," Harry said sarcastically.

"You shouldn't be talking, Harry Potter," Ginny answered, turning bright red, "because you didn't even have interest in me before that! All you cared about was your job and Ron and Hermione! Well, what about me? What was I supposed to do? Waste my life while you go have a party?"

"I did care about you! I still do! Why in the world would you think I didn't?"

"Because you were never around to support me, Harry," said Ginny, her voice lowering, "and I have always supported you no matter what. After we came back from the war, I supported you when you went into Auror training. Even when you dropped that, I still supported you. But you never cared what I did and _not once_, did you ever take more interest in me than as a friend. That's what matters, Harry. We haven't dated since that last year in Hogwarts and after being out of that for fours years, I think I have the right to go on with my life."

The two sat in silence, both looking uncomfortably at the other. Harry felt defeat fill the pit of his stomach as he watched the girl he had been in love with close the door on his life. Without entirely realizing what he was doing, Harry stood up and headed for the door. "Well, looks like you made your decision, Gin," Harry said bitterly. "Now, I'm making mine. Bye, Gin." The door shut behind him with a bang that rung in Ginny's ears. Their conversation had lasted less than fifteen minutes and already everything was over.

Ginny could have run after Harry, apologized from the bottom of her heart and promised to dump Alex and only love Harry ever after. Ginny also could have yelled at him as he stormed out the door. However, the Ginny that was laying on the couch that moment was too tired to do either. Her head hurt and her fever was high enough that she felt like she would catch on fire at any moment. Ginny didn't want to ever think about this conversation for the rest of her life, but she also knew better. She knew that the day will come when she will have to face Harry again and hopefully for Harry, this day won't come for a long time.

Ginny fell into the cushions of the couch and closed her eyes. Sleep didn't come easy, but once it did, Ginny hoped that she would never have to wake up.

* * *


	3. Prologue: Part 3

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Prologue- Part 3**_

**A/N:** Alright, I'm finally done with the prologue! Go me! Now we can finally get on to what this story is _really_ about! This chapter is a bit shorter than I expected, but I didn't want to drag it out and make you all suffer not knowing what was going on. I hope you guys aren't confused! Let me know if you are! Please enjoy! Review!

* * *

"It's amazing how great people run in and out of your life like a needle and thread. While the pain in watching them leave us vanishes over time, the memory of them is still stitched in our minds. And when we think life couldn't give us more, we look back at our material and realize that we have hardly started, but what we are starting is something very beautiful."

* * *

Not long after Harry walked out of Ginny's house and life, Ginny began making plans to leave the wizarding world. Even though she hated the idea in her heart, she couldn't live two lives anymore. By September, Ginny and Alex had moved from their two bedroom house into a larger house closer to Alex's clinic. In October, Ginny quit her job at the ministry and took up a part-time job at a local bookstore.

Ginny had been nearly four months pregnant in August when she learned about her pregnancy and how it went unnoticed for so long was a mystery to everyone. Ginny suspected she had been too preoccupied with her complicated life to notice small things like her monthly cycle being put on hold. She was able to hide her small stomach behind her robes through September, but when it began to be really noticeable, she decided it was too risky to keep her job and have her family learn about it. It wasn't a decision she was proud of or really wanted, but bad judgment led her to believe she was doing the right thing. No one in her family knew about her second life and perhaps if she played her cards right, she could slip out of their lives forever.

Cold October changed to a cold and windy November and from November to snowy December and Christmas was soon upon Alex and Ginny like a snow storm. Running around London, the two spent many weekends buying gifts for their families and even Ginny took a risk and spent a day in Diagon Alley shopping.

On Christmas Eve, Ginny let out a breath of relief when she came home from her last bit of shopping. It was early in the afternoon and Alex had been called into work with an emergency patient. Ginny was resting on the couch and enjoying watching the snow fall to the ground when a sharp jolt in her abdomen made her cry in pain. Despite her slight discomfort, Ginny ignored it. It was something she was told was normal at this stage and only meant that her body was preparing itself for the birth. However, Ginny realized that something was wrong when four more sharp jolts coursed through her body. She was only in her eighth month (thirty-fifth week) and yet the contractions were close together and hard. Without hesitating, Ginny picked up her cell phone and dialed Alex.

"What's up, Gin-bug? Did you get your shopping done?" Alex asked good-naturedly.

"Alex, I'm hurting," Ginny said through clenched teeth.

"What did you do?" Alex answered full of concern.

"Alex, I'm having contractions...really painful contractions, _OW!_" She ended with another cry of pain.

"Alright, Gin-bug," Alex said hurriedly. "Call my mom and have her take you to the hospital. She'll be able to get you there faster than I can right now. I'll be there soon, though."

"Alex," she whispered. "This isn't right. I'm scared."

"I know, Sweetie," Alex sympathized. "Trust me, ok? Call my mom. I love you."

"I love you, too," Ginny mumbled and hung up. After another more painful jolt of pain, Ginny picked up her phone again and called her mother-in-law. Within ten minutes, Ginny and was on her way to the hospital and within twenty minutes, she the doctors admitted her in. However, Alex never showed up. Ginny waited several hours and still her husband hadn't arrived like he promised.

"Where is he?" Ginny asked worriedly.

"I'm not sure, Gin," her mother-in-law answered.

"Gin?" Greg appeared in the room with a bright smile. "Excited?"

"Excited about what?" Ginny muttered, trying to ignore another jolt of pain.

"We're going to take you to the labor and delivery room!" Greg announced.

"Where's Alex? Have you heard from him?" Ginny questioned hopefully.

Greg's expression fell and a dark shadow fell over his face. "Let's work on you first. According to the charts, it looks like you're having an odd, early delivery. If we're not careful, we could lose the baby."

"I want Alex to be there!" Ginny shouted.

"Gin, with or without Alex, we're going to have to start the delivery soon. We'll just have to cross our fingers that Alex will get here in time," Greg answered. "Come on, I'll personally escort you to the ward."

Mrs. Miller followed Ginny and Greg to the ward, but when Ginny was settled in the room, the older woman followed the doctor out of the room. "What's wrong, Greg? Where is my son?"

The dark looked passed over Greg again and he knew he couldn't keep it in any longer. It was important to keep it from Ginny, but his heart melted when he looked into the older woman's eyes. "Alex was in a car accident. He's in surgery at the moment in the emergency room, but I haven't been to see him. I'm sorry, but the doctors don't believe he will make it."

Tears spilled out of Mrs. Miller's light blue eyes. "No," she gasped. "My baby!"

"I'm so sorry, Pam," Greg apologized, putting a hand on her shoulder. "But Ginny can't know- at least not yet. She's already in a critical state and I can't imagine what would happen if she knew. We need to be strong for her."

Mrs. Miller wiped her eyes and nodded in agreement before she entered back into her daughter-in-law's room. She wanted so much to see her son at that moment, but knew it was impossible. She was needed next to Ginny and a few hours later, she watched the birth of her son's one and only child. At 12:07am (0007) on Christmas morning, Holly Alexis Miller greeted the world. At 12:13am (0013), Mrs. Miller lost her youngest son.

When the death of her husband was finally revealed to her, Ginny grieved in silence. She couldn't fathom that the person she had thrown her other life away for was gone and now she had no one. She looked down at her tiny little daughter and touched the baby's soft light hair. How could this happen to her? How could Alex have left her to take of this baby by herself?

A few days later, Ginny and Holly were both released from the hospital and taken home. As Ginny stepped in the door, her mother-in-law carrying the baby behind her, the full situation hit Ginny like a pile of snow: her husband would never step through that door ever again. Alex would never come home asking what he should make Ginny for dinner and he would never know the beautiful bundle of pink that contained half of his genes. Ginny fell to her knees and cried for the first time since she was told of Alex's death. It was unfair! How could the world be so cruel? How was she supposed to get through this?

If I told you that Ginny went to the Burrow and confessed all that had happened in the past year and Harry accepted her with open arms, I would be lying through my teeth. A year ago Ginny would never have thought she would be in the predicament she was in now. A year ago Ginny would never have dreamed of keeping secrets this big from the people she loved so much. It's amazing how people can change so much in such a short amount of time and when looking back, we are almost equally amazed that we do the very things we try so hard to avoid. However, if we learned one thing about life, it's that the hardest part of life is trying to dig out of the deep holes we have dug for ourselves.

After Alex's funeral, Ginny remained in the muggle world with her baby girl. For several years, the pair lived at Alex's parents' house. When Holly was four years old and going to preschool, Ginny took on a second job and was able to move herself and Holly into a small two-bedroom apartment. Holly was as normal a child as Ginny could have expected and as she watched the little girl grow, Ginny's biggest fear grew more and more certain: Holly was a squib. No one could have imagined Ginny's surprise seven years later when the strangest event made Ginny's heart skip a beat.

* * *

And so ends the prologue.

* * *


	4. Chapter 1

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Chapter 1**_

**A/N: **I'm so sorry that this has taken me so long to write! I had a cold and midterms and I just couldn't concentrate long enough to write this. So, here it is! The first chapter of the story! Thank you to all of you who reviewed! I appreciate the comments ) I hope this part of the story meets to your expectations…if it doesn't, let me know. If you see a loophole, let me know. Hopefully, you'll enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing!

* * *

Harry sat behind the desk with a pile of parchment sitting in front of him. On each piece, the date and the contents of the letters were typed, and only needed the name of the child and Harry's signature. This was Harry's least favorite part of his job as Deputy Headmaster: sending off letters to all the new and old students. He found it dull and boring, incomparable to a good game of Quidditch, and a complete waste of time he could be spending with his friends. However, this was the only negative aspect of his responsibility. Harry knew no one else was going to send these letters if he didn't and so Harry was taking his sweet time about it, despite McGonagall's sharp looks every time she came into Harry's office.

When the sun was about to set and Harry was almost ready to call it a day, a quick knock on the door caught his attention. "I'm almost done, Professor," Harry called out, getting up from his desk to open the door. "Just give me another day-"

Harry's voice stopped mid-sentence when he saw Hermione and Ron standing on the other side, both with identical cheesy grins. "Harry! What a surprise?" Hermione greeted, marching past Harry and into his office.

"Writing letters to Hogwarts students?" Ron added, following his wife into the office. "That must be a long chore. Need some help? We're always around to help, Harry."

Harry rolled his eyes and shut the door behind the pair. "If you want to know, both Michael and Daniel are on the list. I would have told you sooner, but the letters are going out tomorrow. Couldn't you guys wait?"

Hermione's face lit up at the announcement of her twin boys. "They're on the list?" she exclaimed excitedly, ignoring Harry's last comment. "Ron, they're on the list! Our boys are on the list!" Hermione embraced her husband and the two twirled around the office with Harry looking on with jealous eyes.

At the young age of thirty-three, Harry had never managed to find his match. After he had left Ginny that dark night twelve years ago, he had only dated several women, but none suited him at all. Harry new perfectly well that there was only one woman in the world that he could be happy with, but the anger and bitterness that filled his heart when he left her never disappeared like he'd hoped. To keep his mind off the past, Harry took the job as Defense against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts in hopes that he could immerse himself into a new life there.

"Are you listening to me, Harry?"

Harry woke up from his daydream and met Hermione's anxious eyes. "What?"

"The family is getting together for dinner tonight. Are you coming?" Hermione repeated.

"Who's going to be there?" Harry asked, glancing at the pile of parchment and weighing his options. If he did go to dinner, he knew that there was no chance the letters would be sent the next day.

"Oh, you know-the usual," Ron answered casually, "Bill's family, Charlie's family, Percy's family, both twins' families, and our family."

"That's a lot of people," Harry responded gloomily, thinking of how little sleep he would get that night if he did join in the fun. "I don't think I'll be able to join you guys. If you all want your Hogwarts letters tomorrow, it will be better if I can get enough sleep to remember why I'm waking up in the morning."

"Come on, Harry," Hermione persuaded. "The kids love you and you're just as much a part of the family as the rest of us! Except for Ginny, of course," Hermione added. "No one has heard from her in ages."

Ron's face dropped at the sound of his sister's name. "Let's not talk about Ginny, especially tonight at dinner. Mum won't be able to take it- it's just like Percy all over again."

Hermione looked sadly at her husband and back at Harry. "Except no one knows where she is," Hermione put in. "I guess it is common knowledge that she married that Alex-guy. Molly was completely astounded over it when she found out, of course, but Ginny was gone by then. No one has heard anything since Ginny quit her job at the ministry almost twelve years ago."

This was nothing new to Harry, but he every time he heard about Ginny, it was like hearing it for the first time- it left him completely dumbfounded. "Hasn't anyone ever tried sending an owl?" Harry questioned.

"Of course!" Ron exclaimed. "We sent plenty of them, too! All of them came back. We even went to visit her house, but she had moved out and the people who own the place now don't know where she went."

"Don't get yourself worked up, Ron," Hermione advised. "I still can't believe that Ginny would walk out on us like that and I never will, but it has been over a decade since she left. Isn't it about time we got over it?"

Ron shook his head stubbornly and stared at his wife. "She's my only sister, Hermione. I can't just give up on her because she's so selfish that she would walk out on her family!"

"Harry," Hermione turned her back on Ron to change the topic. "Would you please reconsider coming to dinner?"

The depressing thoughts of Ginny had left his mind and Harry turned again to the pile of letters. Well, he could join them for a couple of hours and still get his work done… "Sure," Harry answered quickly before his mind could change again. "Just let me get my cloak."

And just as Harry had predicted, his workload after the party was worse. Not only did he have half of the letters to finish that morning, but he had a blinding headache to finish them with.

"Are you finished, Potter?" McGonagall walked into his office without knocking.

Harry was finishing the last of the students and didn't bother to look up from his work. "Almost."

"How soon?" McGonagall asked with a tone of annoyance.

"Now," Harry answered, signing his name on the last letter. Shrinking the letters enough to fit in his pocket, Harry made his way up to the owlry where he enlarged the letters and the school owls each flew down one by one to pick them up. When the last owl had left, Harry noticed one last letter sitting on the ground that was open- _Holly A. Miller_. As Harry had never heard of the name, he could only assume that it was an incoming first year student.

"Hedwig!" Harry called to the white owl at the top of the rafters. The owl flew down and landed on Harry's shoulder, holding out her leg. Harry tied the letter and sent the owl on her way, feeling the relief from having finished his job come over him. As Harry made his way back to his quarters for a good nap, Hedwig was flying high over England making her way to deliver a letter to the one person that Harry wished to see just one more time out of everyone he knew…

* * *

While most people are usually sound asleep in their beds on Saturday mornings, eleven-year-old Holly Miller was bouncing on the couch, watching cartoons. It wasn't her absolute favorite thing to do in the morning (she would have much preferred to read the dictionary like her father did at her age), but Ginny hadn't had time to take her daughter to the library to get a new book and so the youngster was out of things to do.

To Ginny's disappointment, Holly resembled more of the Miller family than the Weasleys. Holly had beautiful blonde hair like her Grandma Miller and chocolate brown eyes like Alex and her Grandfather Miller. The only way Ginny and Holly resembled each other was by their noses- small and round. Holly was very smart like her father, but wasn't as ambitious as Percy, as outgoing as the twins, or as athletic as any of the Weasleys were. In fact, if Ginny hadn't held her baby girl minutes after she was born, Ginny would never have thought that Holly was her own daughter.

The worse thing about Holly was that Ginny believed her daughter was a squib. It wasn't a definite conclusion, but in the past eleven years, Holly had never shown any magical capabilities and Ginny's worse fear was that Holly would be the first squib born in the Weasley family. Ginny never regretted having her baby girl- Holly was a delight that any mother would want- but some days, Ginny couldn't help wondering if her anxiety would be lifted if Holly had a wizard for a father instead of a Muggle.

"Mum!" Holly called out. "It's eight o'clock, Mum! Aren't we going out today?"

Ginny groaned loudly from the next room and rolled over in bed, barely opening her eyes to see anything. "I'm coming, Hon," Ginny called groggily and closed her eyes again. "How can she be awake at this hour?" Ginny wondered, making another effort to get out of bed, but failing. She had promised Holly to take her out school shopping for the next school year that started in less than a month, but found it quite difficult to execute her plan of getting out of bed first.

"Mum!" Holly cried again. "Let's go! Mum- AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Ginny was up in a heartbeat and into the next room. "Holly! What's the matter?" Ginny ran to her daughter who was white-faced and staring out the window.

"Mum!" Holly barely whispered and pointing across the room. "There's a- there's a- BIG BIRD OUTSIDE THE WINDOW!" Ginny turned around and followed her daughter's directions. There, standing on the ledge of their apartment window, was a beautiful snowy owl with a letter tied to its leg- one that Ginny instantly recognized.

"Hedwig!" Ginny shouted excitedly.

"What?" Holly looked at her mother, horrified.

Ginny opened the window and Hedwig flew inside and landed on the table. Holly ducked behind the couch and watched as her mother went over to the bird and began to speak to it.

"What are you doing, girl?" Ginny smoothed the owl's ruffled feathers. "I haven't seen you in so long! Oh, you have a letter for me. I'm sorry, but I don't have any owl treats for you. You'll have to get some from Harry. Ow!" Hedwig nipped at her hands while she untied the letter. "I'm sure that was heartfelt from Harry, wasn't it? Well, tell Harry thank you." Ginny stared at the owl, waiting for her to leave, but Hedwig just stood on table as if to ask what _Ginny_ was doing there.

"Mum…"

"Yes?" Ginny answered, opening the letter unconsciously.

"You are talking to a bird," Holly informed her.

"So?"

"You are talking to a _bird_," Holly emphasized the last word. "Are you ok? Would you like to see a shrink?"

"Stop it, Holly," Ginny commanded and looked down at the letter. It was addressed to Ms. Holly A. Miller and on the back it was sealed with a purple crest that Ginny hadn't seen since she had left Hogwarts fifteen years before. Ginny knew exactly what it was and she could have screamed in excitement.

"Mum? What is it?" Holly noticed Ginny's odd expression.

Ginny shook her head and scanned the rest of the letter until the bottom caught her eye-

_Harry J. Potter_

**Harry J. Potter**

**Deputy Headmaster**

"Well, that explains why you're here, Hedwig," Ginny called out to the bird who was still staring at her intently. "But how did he know?"

"How did _who _know, Mum? Why am I so confused?" Holly cried in frustration.

"_Harry,_" Ginny answered exasperatedly.

"_Who's Harry?_"

Ginny looked down into her daughters eyes for the first time that morning and reality hit her like a lead balloon falling from the sky- Holly didn't know anything Ginny was talking about and she was terrified. She was terrified about the bird that was sitting on their dining room table, her mother talking to herself, and the envelope that was addressed for her, but was made from an unusual type of paper.

How could Ginny explain all this to her daughter? Holly was supposed to be a squib! Ginny had purposely kept this world from her because she didn't want to her daughter to be hurt by what she could have had, but didn't. Now, Holly would be upset because she didn't know what she had and her own mother had kept it from her. How did Ginny get herself into this mess?

"Here," Ginny fell on the couch in exhaustion and handed Holly her letter to read over. "You decide."

"Decide on what?"

"Read it."

Holly took the paper shakily and read the contents. It was several moments before she even breathed and when she did speak there was a hint of amusement in her voice. "This is a joke, Mum," Holly announced. "My friend got one of these letters. Her mother said it was a load of crackpot jokes. I can't believe you're going crazy over it."

Ginny eyed her daughter. "A load of crackpot jokes?" Ginny repeated coldly. "Holly, I went to school there! I spent seven of the best years of my life going to this school. That man who claims himself as Deputy Headmaster- he's famous!"

Holly looked unbelievably at her mother. "Whatever, Mum. Perhaps you should get some sleep," Holly tossed the letter on the floor. "This is all making you crazy. If I were you, I would go see a psychiatrist."

"Holly!"

"Mum, listen to what you're saying!" Holly answered. "All of my life, you told me to use my head- listen to what my heart was saying, but with a sound mind. Now, you're trying to tell me that there's a world full of…witches and wizards and there's some school that teaches magic to students!"

"But it's true!" Ginny protested. She couldn't believe her hears.

"Mum, I don't know how famous this '_Harry Potter' _is, but _I_ sure don't know who he is. He wasn't in any of the books _I_ read," Holly stated matter-of-factly. "He's probably just some pervert who's trying to lure kids to a place so he can kidnap them. I'm sorry, Mum, but I don't want to go to a school that's run by perverts."

Holly marched to her room and away from her astonished mother. As the door clicked shut, Ginny shook her head and could hardly believe her ears. Her own daughter was dismissing Ginny's entire life as a joke. All the magic she learned! Everything that she had enjoyed! Everything that she, her family, and Harry had sacrificed for! "It's all a joke," Holly had said. Perhaps Holly is more like her mother than Ginny could ever know…

Ginny didn't hear the soft wings soar until she felt claws dig into her shoulder. Hedwig's big eyes looked at her fixedly, holding out her leg for a response message. Ginny bent down to pick up the letter, sending Hedwig to regain her perch on a nearby chair, and read through it one more time.

"You're going to this school, Holly Alexis Miller!" Ginny yelled at the door. "Whether you like it or not, you're going to go to Hogwarts, perverts and all!"

"FINE!" a voice shouted back. "If you want to send your daughter to a perverted school, then go ahead! And if I die, it's _your_ fault!"

"Fine!" Ginny claimed all responsibility. Ginny sat down grumpily at the table and began her reply letter to Harry. If Holly sincerely did not wish to attend a magical school, Ginny didn't want to make her. But Ginny felt her daughter had insulted her entire life and everyone who fought to make sure people like Ginny and Alex could live in peaceful times.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_I am accepting the invitation for my daughter, Holly Miller, to join Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

_Mrs. G. M. W. Miller_

Ginny tied the letter to Hedwig and the owl flew off to return to her master. For the rest of the afternoon, Ginny and Holly didn't speak to each other. In her room, Holly couldn't believe that her mother was sacrificing her entire future to attend this crackpot school that was probably just a hoax. Holly was smart and bright and could follow her father's footsteps to becoming a doctor. Now, her mother was spoiling everything Holly wanted to live up to. She wished very much that the next morning when she would wake up, her mother would claim that this was all a misunderstanding and be the reasonable person she had been all Holly's life.

Ginny, on the other hand, wished that her daughter would finally realize that she couldn't be entirely like her father- she would always be half-Weasley.

* * *

Final Note: To anyone who wonders, Alex _is _based one a real-life character. He's not just someone I made up. Of course, his name was changed, but he is indeed real. Thankfully, he's not dead!**

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**


	5. Chapter 2

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Chapter 2**_

**A/N: **I'm sorry this took so long to write and it's a bit short, but I have had mixed feelings on it. I thought that I would start with Holly and Ginny going to Diagon Alley, but then I realized that that wouldn't work with the situation they were in. So, here you go! I hope you enjoy it despite the length! And thank you so much for the couple of reviews I got! They were inspiring :)

* * *

Ginny was rudely awakened the next morning when she heard a sharp knock on her bedroom door. She peeked at her clock and read "8:57" and nearly fell of the bed. She hadn't meant to sleep in so late; they were supposed to go shopping for Holly's school supplies that morning.

"Ginny? Are you ready?"

At first Ginny didn't recognize the voice, but them quickly remembered- it was Pam! Ginny had entirely forgotten that she, Holly, and Pam were going to the London Zoo that morning. Grabbing a blanket to wrap around her, Ginny opened the door to her room a crack and saw Pam's small figure waiting impatiently. How was Ginny going to explain the situation to her?

"Pam! I am so sorry- I slept in!" Ginny cried.

Pam smiled understandably. "It's alright, Gin. I'll be in the kitchen making coffee."

"Is Holly up?" Ginny asked looking at Holly's closed door.

"No, she sleeping, too," Pam answered. "I'll go wake her up."

Ginny watched Pam retreat to Holly's room and then Ginny closed the door. After a nice warm shower, Ginny debated over what she was going to wear- if they were going to Diagon Alley, she did want to stand out, and yet, she didn't want to blend in too much. Even when she lived in the wizarding world, she thought that some of the fashion was loony.

"Ginny! What is this that Holly is telling me? She tells me that you're sending her to a magic school! What is this about?" Pam's sharp voice pierced Ginny's ears.

Ginny cringed before picking a neutral shirt and jeans and then coming out of her room. "What did Holly tell you?" Ginny asked innocently.

Holly stood next to her grandmother with a defiant look on her face. Ginny's face grew hot as she addressed her daughter. "Holly, will you do me a favor and go get some milk from the market."

"But Mum-"

"_Now_," Ginny gave her daughter a stern look and handing her a pound note. "And take your time, please."

Holly grabbed it and stomped out of the room. This left Ginny to face her angry mother-in-law. Ginny walked to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the dining room table.

"Ginny, what is this nonsense about?" Pam asked, standing over Ginny.

"I'm not sending Holly to Alex's old school," Ginny responded tiredly.

Pam threw her arms in the air. "And why not? Holly is perfect for the school!"

Ginny shook her head and looked into the black pool of her cup. "I'm sending her to the school I went to," Ginny muttered only loud enough for Pam to hear.

Pam looked incredibly at the redhead in front of her. Ginny never talked about her past, where she went to school or anything about her life before Alex. Every time Pam ventured a question about it, Ginny always managed to successfully change the subject.

"And what school is this?" Pam questioned curiously.

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Ginny replied evenly.

Pam stood shocked. So Holly was right- Ginny was crazy!

Ginny shook her head and looked up at the older woman as if she could read her mind. "I'm not crazy, Pam, I'm a witch and so is Holly. We got her Hogwarts letter yesterday." Ginny motioned towards the kitchen counter where the piece of parchment was curled up.

Pam picked up the letter and read it through. After a few moments, she finally spoke. "Are you trying to tell me that…magic exists?"

Ginny nodded and pulled out her wand- something she hadn't done in almost twelve years. With a swish, her hair turned black like water pouring down from her head. This was almost too much for the older woman as she set herself in a chair next to Ginny.

"How did you- how did you-?" Pam stumbled. "You can't be serious!"

"It's made of mahogany," Ginny recollected, ignoring Pam's statement of disbelief. "It has a phoenix feather core and is 12 inches. Mr. Ollivander said that it would be very good for transfiguration. It is also a good for defense spells, too." Ginny turned her hair back to the reddish color that she hated and put her wand back into her pocket.

The two were quiet for a moment, neither knowing what to say. "Don't do this to her, Ginny," Pam pleaded. "She wants to like her father- give her that chance. You will be destroying her dreams if you send her to that school of yours. I have already lost my son; I don't want to lose my granddaughter as well." There were tears in Pam's eyes as she said this and Ginny felt her stomach squirm.

"I know, Pam," Ginny said sympathetically, "but things will start to change. Even if I don't send her to Hogwarts, she is still a witch with magical blood. Odd things will happen to her that not even she will understand. If she tries to explain it, no one will believe her. At Hogwarts, she will be going to school with people who are just like her. She won't be considered 'odd' or 'crazy.' I will be condemning her to years of pain and confusion if I don't send her to Hogwarts."

The older woman was now sobbing and muttering, "What will I tell the family when they ask about Holly's education? Oh yes, we have a witch in the family! How wonderful! They'll think I was crazy!" Her sarcastic tone hit Ginny like cold water to her face.

"Well, then you can understand why I haven't told you about myself before now," Ginny answered coldly. "This is what I feared; that you would act like this."

"She just has so much potential to be just like her father," Pam stated, wiping tears from her eyes.

Ginny's pity left her and anger began to fill her heart. "What about me? She has half of my genes, too! She can't always be like her father!"

The front door slammed and Holly's blonde hair appeared with the milk and some biscuits in hand. Pam and Ginny stared at Holly as the child bit into her biscuit. "What?" she questioned, looking between her mother and grandmother. When the saw the tears in her grandmother's eyes, she turned to her mother. "You made grandma cry!" she accused.

"Oh, it's alright, dear," Pam tried to laugh, taking out her handkerchief to wipe off her face. "Your mother did no such thing. Now, I need to go. You have a good time getting your school supplies, ok dear?"

Holly nodded as she watched her grandmother leave the apartment. "I can't believe you," Holly turned on her mother. "I don't want to go to that school of yours and grandma doesn't want me to, either! Why don't you ever listen to me?"

"Because I am your mother and you will listen to me!" Ginny shouted back, still heated from her talk with Pam. "You don't understand, Holly! You will never understand unless you listen to me! You are not who you thought you were!"

"Well, then it's your fault!" Holly replied angrily. "You always encouraged my dreams! Now you want to take them away! I hate you!" Holly ran out the door and down the street before Ginny could even blink.

"HOLLY!" Ginny screamed after her eleven-year-old. Without thinking about the consequences, in the middle of daylight in a purely Muggle neighborhood, Ginny disapparated and appeared right in front of Holly. She appeared so fast, in fact, that Holly ran right into her and fell backwards.

"Get away from me!" Holly yelled, but then realized something. "How did you get there?"

Ginny picked up her daughter and brushed the dirt off of her clothes. "You can learn to do this one day if you'll only give it a chance," Ginny offered, and then stood on her knees facing her daughter. "I know how much you want to be like your father, Sweetheart. You really resemble him in so many ways. However, this is a chance in a lifetime. There are so many opportunities for you that they are endless. Give it a chance."

Holly gave her mother a blank look, but after a minute, she looked down at the ground and nodded. "But what if I don't like it there?" she asked.

Ginny laughed and stood up onto her feet, leading her daughter back towards their apartment. "You will love it, Holly," Ginny assured her. "If you end up not liking it at the end of your first year, though, on my honor as your mother, I will take you out of that school and send you to your father's old school."

Holly sighed, but looked considerably calmer. "Alright, fine," she gave in. "One year."

* * *


	6. Chapter 3

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Chapter 3

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**_

**A/N: **In honor of not updating in such a long time, I have blessed you with a long chapter. Well, I tried to make it long, at least. I'm sorry about the delay! School has been very demanding and I finally found this little time pocket where I felt a deep motivation to write. Amazing, huh? Thank you to all of you who reviewed my last chapter! Dauby, piratesswriter, Danny, Frodo Freak2, MiKaYGiRl, Herfathersjoy, EboniteEvans, and Anja! You all made my day when you reviewed, so I thank you all for that! I hope everyone enjoys this new chapter! Thanks again!

* * *

"Mum, do you have idea where we are?" Holly asked, dragging her feet in London for the umpteenth mile. It was a week after Holly agreed to go to Hogwarts and Ginny and Holly had been walking around London for a little over an hour. Ginny could have sworn that the little pub she was looking for was around here, but the more she walked around, the less confident she became. After all, it had been nearly twelve years since she set foot in Diagon Alley. "Where are we going, anyways?"

"I'm looking for a pub," Ginny answered shortly, coming to the end of her patience. This couldn't be happening to her. Of all the days she had been avoided magic, this was the one exception and of course, it was Murphy's Law that she wouldn't be able to find it.

Holly groaned and dragged her feet even more. "We must have passed a million by now," Holly whined.

"We're looking for a specific one, you'll see," Ginny told her one again. Another hour went by, though, and they still couldn't find the little pub. "That's it, I give up! We are going to never find this place!" Ginny cried and threw her arms up in the middle of the sidewalk. People all around her gave her unusual glances while she collapsed on a bench in front of an ice cream parlor.

Ginny gave Holly a five-pound note and sent the eleven-year-old in the store while she tried to decide what to do. She could get a taxi and take the two of them home and maybe try to floo to Diagon Ally? However, this made Ginny uncomfortable. Holly had never been exposed to magic and she was afraid that her daughter might end up elsewhere. With her luck today, she could almost count on that happening. She was at her wits end, when two familiar people walked by in muggle clothing…

"Come on, Ron," a brown-haired woman commanded the gentleman she with in a quiet, agitated tone. "Stop goggling at everything in the stores. Most Muggles don't do that. Do you want to give us all away because of your stupidity?"

Ginny could have laughed at her older brother's faults, but instead, she quickly hid in the alley next to the ice cream shop. She could have sworn that Hermione looked twice at her as she walked by, but Ginny didn't meet the other woman's glance. It had been twelve years since she had seen her brother and sister-in-law and she couldn't imagine what they would say if they saw her now. Most likely, they would be thoroughly angry with her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw the red-haired woman disappear. She had seen the woman at a distance and had been watching her as she walked by. The woman had red hair just like her husband's and could have passed as Ron's sister, but Hermione didn't get a good look at the woman's face. Even if the woman did look like Ginevra Weasley, there are so many red-heads in England that Hermione could have easily made a mistake. This had happened before in a pizza parlor where Hermione embarrassed herself and called the woman 'Ginny.' Unfortunately, the woman's name was 'Alice' and after seeing her up close, Hermione realized that the other woman hardly looked anything like the Ginny Weasley that she remembered. Still, Hermione always hoped.

"Ron, did you see that red-haired woman that was over there?" she asked her husband while they were stopped in front of the shop next the ice cream parlor.

"Over where?" Ron asked, tearing his eyes away from a display of Muggle Magazines.

"Never mind," said Hermione. "We need to get going. We're meeting Harry at the Leaky Cauldron at two, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Ron remembered and he continued to follow Hermione to the end of the block.

Ginny peeked out her hiding spot to see Ron and Hermione cross the street and Holly come out of the ice cream parlor with her ice cream and some change. "Have we given up?" Holly asked hopefully.

"Nope," Ginny replied, pulling Holly into the alley with her. Ginny grabbed her wand out from her pocket quite aggressively and nearly stabbed her head with it as she muttered an incantation under her breath. Her wavy red hair began to turn a pale yellow starting from the wand and moving throughout her hair as if she was simply pouring water over it.

Holly gasped as she watched her mother's hair change color. "Mum! Your hair!" she cried, but Ginny quickly put her hands over Holly's mouth.

"It's magic, Holly," she whispered. "And I just found our route to the pub."

Ginny began to jog down the street in search of her brother. After she ran three blocks pulling Holly the entire way, she thought that she may have lost them, but she found the two standing in a park around the corner. Hermione was holding a little girl in her arms while Ron was calling two other boys to get off the playground. Ginny laughed as the boys pelted their father with popcorn in response.

"Michael and Daniel Weasley!" Hermione shouted. "Let's go!"

The boys knocked each other down the slide and went running to their mother who began scolding them for not listening to their father. Ginny walked slowly down the block and waited for Ron and Hermione to continue their walk to Diagon Alley. Holly, who still had no idea what was going on, went along with her mother's strange behavior (since it was becoming more and more common each day) and was window shopping in every store they went by.

Finally, the Weasley family left the park in the opposite direction and Holly felt her mother pull forcefully across the street, barely missing the cars that slammed on their breaks around her. "Mum, _what are you doing?_ Are you trying to get me killed?"

Ginny didn't answer or say a word for another fifteen minutes until she cried out in happiness when they finally reached their destination. In the narrow building between a book shop and a record shop was a little place that was hardly noticeable unless you were looking for it. Above the pub, in bronze letters read "The Leaky Cauldron."

"_This_ is where you wanted to take me?" Holly cried in amazement. "A run-down pub?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and chased after her brother who had just disappeared into the pub. "See beyond the appearance, Holly," Ginny advised as she walked into the pub and closed the door behind her daughter. She looked around the room and felt an immediate sense of relief: they had finally reached their destination. Ginny spotted Hermione and Ron in the corner of the pub taking a table, but no Harry. Ginny breathed a whispered prayer as she walked past them that she wouldn't be recognized or that Harry wouldn't be on the other side of that door-

WHAM!

Too late.

"My nose!" Ginny cried, holding her hands up to her nose after the door had hit her. Tears ran down her face and she almost fell to the floor in pain. She could feel blood dripping down her face and splatter onto her cloths. Oh, this wasn't a good day at all!

"Mum, are you alright?" Holly asked as her mum was swaying and losing her balance.

A black-haired criminal rushed to her side and grabbed her shoulders, keeping her from falling over. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were there!" the man apologized.

"It's alright, really," Ginny answered, trying not to look at him. "It's just a broken nose. Ow!" She was very thankful that her hair was disguised because her face turned very a deep red that was associated with her Weasley features.

Hermione, who witnessed the event, stumbled over Ron and came to her side. "Harry, what did you do?" she scolded her friend. "I'm sorry, ma'am. Please excuse my friend; he's a bit clumsy. _Episkey._"

Ginny felt the pain in her nose stop and knew that it was no longer broken, but she was still covered in blood. "It's alright, I think I'm going to clean up," Ginny excused herself. "Come on, Holly."

"Oh let me help you!" Hermione offered and followed Ginny into the restroom. "My name is Hermione Granger. I'm a healer at St. Mungo's."

"I know," Ginny muttered.

"What?" Hermione asked, hearing Ginny mumble.

"Nothing," Ginny replied louder. "I just need to get this blood off of me."

"Oh, I know a really good spell for that!" Hermione answered and with a swish of her wand, the blood that had soaked Ginny's cloths disappeared.

Ginny looked down at herself and back up at Hermione. "Thanks," she said with a smile. "Come on, Holly, let's go." Ginny grabbed her daughter's hand and pulled her outside of the pub with Hermione in her wake. She waved the other woman away and turned to face the brick wall in the back. Three up, two across, and three taps with the wand and the mother pushed her daughter through the opening and disappeared.

"Oh Harry, I can't believe you did that!" Hermione turned to the black-haired man.

Harry shrugged and looked slightly embarrassed. "I know, Hermione, I already apologized. I was just a bit distracted, that's all."

"Well, it was a bit amusing, though," Ron added with a grin. "You always have to arrive in style. Even the women crumble at your feet- or lose there noses!"

"Ha ha, Ronald," said Hermione sarcastically.

Harry looked back at the door where the accident happened and then turned to Hermione. "Did you get her name?"

Hermione shook her head. "She was pretty irritated. I wanted to ask, but decided against it. She couldn't have been a muggle, though. She used a wand to get through the barrier and she said she knew me. Well, she didn't say that she knew me, but when I introduced myself, she answered 'I know.'"

"What wizard doesn't know you, Hermione?" Ron joked. "We've been in the prophet too many times to count."

"True," Hermione admitted. "I just feel like I knew her. Maybe we went to school together. She looks to be our age and her daughter must be new. The little girl looked so clueless!"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Oh, what a spectacle- parents taking their children to Diagon Alley to get their school supplies! How unusual!"

Hermione hit Ron's shoulder and glared at him. Harry laughed at the pair, but couldn't help feeling that Hermione was right somehow. Of all the wizards in England, why did she seem so familiar?

* * *

"Mum, are you sure you're ok?" Holly asked as she walked next to Ginny down Diagon Alley. "You look pale. Do you want to sit down?"

"No, no, I'm fine," said Ginny quickly. "Let's just get your supplies, ok?"

In Gringotts, Ginny exchanged her muggle money to galleons and the first place they went to afterwards was the bookstore, Flourish and Blotts. Among the piles of books, Holly was able to find the ones required for her new classes and in matter of minutes, the mother and daughter were out of the busy store and back out into the busier street. It seemed that every Hogwarts student was there buying supplies as Ginny and Holly bumped into quite a few anxious and aggravated parents.

"This place is amazing," Holly whispered to her mother in awe. Even as they were just walking from store to store, Holly was quietly trying to take it all in. She had never seen anything like this before! Cauldrons and broomsticks on display, funny-looking animals in some sort of a pet-shot, and a few restaurants that served some food that Holly had never heard of. "Why didn't you tell me about this before?" Ginny could help letting a grin appear on her face at her daughter's amazement. Of all the horrible things to happen that day, this was a good start for Holly.

Then next place the two ventured into was 'Finnegan's Fabulous Fashion' where Lavender Finnegan started her own line of robes. After that, they visited the apothecary, bought some potions supplies and Holly's pewter cauldron, and lastly came to McLaggen's Wands. Ginny gave a small grunt as she walked into the store, but as it was the only wand shop in Diagon Alley, she had no choice.

There were a few other first years in the shop looking for wands and Cormac McLaggen himself was behind a fancy cash register. "Can I help you ladies with anything?" the man asked lazily.

Ginny looked around and watched first years going through boxes of wands. "My daughter needs to get a wand," she said uncertainly. The first years seemed to be looking for their wands by themselves- a different process than she was used to at Ollivander's.

"Oh, wonderful," he said carelessly and motioned to the shelves behind him. "Just pick a section and wave some wands. It's not too hard."

Ginny would have glared at the man if she didn't have her daughter there to witness it and instead just followed his motion to the last line of shelves towards the back of the store. "Alright, Holly, this is just like trying on shoes. Pick up a wand if it does anything, then that's the one for you."

Holly took out a thing, slender box and picked up the wand inside of it. "Yew, twelve and a half inches, and dragon heart string. What? Dragons?" Holly questioned her mother.

"Certainly we have dragons! You won't see any here in England, though. They are mostly hidden away in places like Romania," Ginny informed her. "Oh, give the wand a try!"

Holly felt a little stupid as she swished the wand in the air, but nothing happened. "What? Come on, you stupid wand, do something!" she cried, banging it on the wooden shelf.

Ginny snatched the wand away from her before the wand could break and cause Mr. McLaggen to come over and investigate. "Holly, not every wand is going to be right for you! The wand chooses the wizard. Here, try this one."

Ginny handed her daughter another wand: Beech, eight and three quarters inches, with a feather from a phoenix. However, this one did just the same as the other: nothing. The pair of them went through over two dozen wands before Holly finally found her perfect wand: Holly, nine and a half inches, and with a unicorn tail.

Nothing was more satisfying to Ginny than when the two left McLaggen's and were now completed with their shopping. In fact, she was in such a good mood that she took Holly into 'Corner's Owl Emporium' to buy the eleven-year-old an owl. A new surprise shocked her as she stepped into the door: Cho Chang.

"Welcome to the Emporium!" she greeted enthusiastically and then looked closely at Ginny. "Have we met before?"

"Possibly," Ginny said carelessly, keeping one eye on her daughter while Holly looked around the room at all the different varieties of owls. "I went to Hogwarts and I worked for the ministry afterwards. Perhaps we met somewhere in that time period."

Cho nodded in agreement. "Perhaps we did. I feel like I should know you're name, though. You are-?"

"Alex Miller," Ginny offered. Holly looked at her mother suspiciously, but fortunately for Ginny, her daughter didn't say a word. It wasn't _entirely_ a lie, after all.

Cho looked clueless and turned her attention to the younger blonde. "Well, we have a huge variety of owls here- many of them have been imported from other nations. Pick one that you like, dear. They are all fantastic creatures."

Ginny rolled her eyes and followed Holly around the store. 'Fantastic indeed,' she thought to herself. 'Corner's? Was she married to Michael? That would explain a lot.' Ginny was very immersed in her own thinking that she didn't notice when Holly picked a spotted brown and looked to her mother to pay.

"Good-bye!" Cho waved them at the door and once again, Ginny and Holly plummeted into the busy streets again.

It was now getting late and many of the shoppers were heading home. Ginny felt too tired to try to get a cab home and instead took the Knight Bus. The ride home was alerting enough, but she did feel at peace until she as in the comfort of her own home. Holly looked pretty beat as well as the little girl dumped her school supplies, owl, books, cauldron, and all and collapsed on her bed. What an exciting day it had been…


	7. Chapter 4

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Chapter 4**_

**A/N: **I hope you're all happy because this is another long chapter! I was thinking of stopping half way through, but then the better of me said, "I don't like it when other authors do that!" So, here we go! I hope you enjoy it and thank you to the people who reviewed on Chapter 3: Mean Titan, Dauby, MiKaYGiRl, Beckisoup, and Frodo Freak 2! I appreciate it a lot and you will all get brownies once this story is over!

* * *

"Mum, why do you have to wear your hair like that?" Holly asked as the two were driving to King's Cross station. Much to Holly's dismay, these last two weeks had flown by pretty quick and before the young girl knew it, she was saying good-bye to all of her school friends.

Ginny glanced quickly at Holly's curious face and then averted her eyes back to the road. "Don't you want to look like your mother?" Ginny asked good-naturedly, feeling that her blonde hair was really a good change from the usual red.

Holly still wasn't convinced, though. "You have never had blonde hair in your life, Mum. Why are you starting now?"

The stop light in front of them suddenly turned red and Ginny slammed on the breaks to avoid hitting the car in front of them. "I have my reasons, Holly," Ginny told her seriously, trying recover from the sudden jolt. "Not one wizard has recognized me in twelve years. Why do I want to be recognized now? It would give my mother a heart attack."

"Your mum?" Holly asked excitedly. "You mean I have a grandmother that I never knew about? Why haven't you told me?"

"You never asked," Ginny answered shortly. "Alright, here we are. Are you sure you have everything? If you do need anything, just send a note with your owl. It's much more convenient that way."

Holly nodded and jumped out of the car. When the mother and daughter reached the barrier that would lead them to the Hogwarts Express, Ginny pulled Holly to the side. "I know that going to this school is going to be strange for you, but just give it a try, Ok? You'll do just fine," Ginny encouraged with a smile and then lowered her voice. "If anyone asks you who your parents are, it might be better if you don't mention my name at all."

"Why, though?" Holly said with a confused look on her face. "Why all this secrecy and hiding and stuff? Are you running from the police?"

Ginny laughed nervously. "No, nothing like that! There are people at Hogwarts that know me. I think most of them believe that I am either gone for good or dead."

Holly still looked skeptical. "But wouldn't you want to them to know that you aren't dead?"

"Holly, if you are not happy at Hogwarts and want to go back to a regular school, I don't want the wizarding world chasing after me. This would be a big step for me and I'm not going to live in another world without you," Ginny explained.

Holly nodded silently, but she seemed to have taken in more than Ginny thought. "Alright, now let's get moving. You have a train to catch," Ginny urged, nudging Holly towards the barrier. After Holly had gone through, Ginny grabbed the trolley and followed her with her trunk and owl.

The train was as magnificent as Ginny remembered. There were still a couple minutes before departure and children running around everywhere, trying to get their things on the train and say good-bye to their parents. Ginny could recall another time when she was a little girl kissing her parents good-bye before leaving on that same train, but that had happened so long ago. That chapter of her life was long over.

Ginny helped Holly lift her trunk onto the train just as the train whistle warned everyone that it was about to depart. "Bye, Mum," Holly embraced her own mother and let a tear fall down her cheek. This would be the first time in the little girl's life that the two would be separated for this long period of time. "Don't be too lonely without me!"

"Bye, Holly!" Ginny answered. "Have a good term!"

The train began moving away from the station and Ginny waved at her daughter until the train was out of sight. Sighing, she turned around and bumped straight into someone. "Oh, excuse me! You!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Me? Oh, it's you again!" Hermione laughed. "How's the nose?"

Ginny put a hand to her nose and laughed when she realized that it was still in tact. "Still there, I guess," she said quickly, trying desperately to get away.

"You sound familiar…did we go to school together?" Hermione asked, eyeing Ginny's features.

Ginny fingered her wand as she wished very hard that she could change her features really quick. "Possibly," Ginny answered, slowly making her way to the barrier. "I did go to Hogwarts. Well, I better go. Bye!"

"Bye," said Hermione sadly and turned to her husband who had been chatting with another school friend. "Such an odd woman. You'd almost think that the world was after her or something."

"Yeah, strange people," said Ron, who was obviously not paying very much attention to her.

Hermione sighed at her husband's ignorance and stared long and hard at the barrier where the woman had disappeared. Why did she look so familiar? Where did they meet? "Hogwarts," Hermione said uncertainly. "It had to be Hogwarts."

* * *

Holly moved down the isles with her owl in one hand and her trunk in the other. Students were pushing all around her and taking up compartments right and left. After twenty minutes of frustration, she finally found a compartment with only three students in it that looked about her age.

"Can I join you?" she asked shyly.

The first boy, a redhead with a ton of freckles, shrugged while the brown-haired boy next to him nodded. "Sure, take a seat," he said in a friendly tone.

Holly smiled gratefully and with the help of the two other boys, she put away her trunk and owl. She took a seat next to another boy with pitch black hair. "I'm Holly Miller," Holly introduced herself.

"A muggle-born?" the boy next to her with a laugh.

"A what?" Holly asked confused.

"Cut it out, Aaron," the brown-haired boy scolded. "So what if she's muggle-born? Our mum is muggle-born." The brown-haired boy indicated the red-head next to him who was glaring at Aaron with the same annoyed expression as the boy next to him.

Aaron shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah well, your mum fought through the war with Harry Potter. Muggles had no idea wizards even existed," Aaron defended himself.

"Um, what's a muggle-born?" Holly asked curiously.

"It's a witch or wizard born to what we call non-magical folk- you know, people who aren't wizards," the red-haired boy explained. "Oh, I'm Daniel Weasley and this is my twin brother, Michael. You're a first year, aren't you? We're first years, too."

"Yeah, this is my first year," Holly confirmed, "but I don't think I'm a muggle-born. My mum is a witch."

"Then why don't you know anything?" Aaron replied harshly.

Holly shrugged and was just on the verge of tears when the twins both stood up, aiming their wands at Aaron. Just the sight alone made Holly want to laugh out loud. "Aaron, if you say another word," Michael threatened.

"We're going to hex you into oblivion," Daniel continued.

"With a hex that our _muggle-born _mother taught us!" Michael said with pride.

Aaron stood up angrily and grabbed his trunk. "You know what? Even if your parents _are _famous, you two aren't any better than muggles. I don't need to hang out with _scum_." Aaron stormed out of the compartment before even Michael could cast a good hex.

Michael shoved his wand back in his pant's pocket and sat back down as if nothing exciting had happened. "Well, that got rid of him. I wish we had done that earlier- we could have gotten rid of him sooner!"

"Yeah, him and his stupid pure-blood family," Daniel agreed while sitting back down next to his brother. "Just ignore him, Holly. He's no better than scum himself."

A million questions were raised in Holly's head, but none of them seemed to be worth asking. She didn't want to appear stupid in front of them. They were obviously children more acquainted with the magical world than she was.

"So, you're mum's a witch? Did she go to Hogwarts, too?" Michael changed the subject.

Holly nodded. "That's what she told me. My dad isn't a wizard, though. He was a doctor. Am I still a muggle-born, then?"

"No," Daniel answered. "You're a half-blood. Don't worry, though- some of the greatest people in the wizarding world are half-bloods. Harry Potter himself is a half-blood! You'll do just fine."

"Do you really know magic?" Holly asked, eyeing Daniel's wand in his hand.

Daniel put his wand back in his pocket. "No, not really. Mum refuses to teach us anything. She keeps telling us that we're not allowed to use magic. Dad would teach us, though, if he had time. He's always busy at the ministry."

"Uncle Charlie was going to teach us a few tricks, but Mum caught him," Michael added gloomily. "It would have helped, but we don't really need it."

"You saw how Aaron was out of her faster than lightning. Our parents are famous and people think Michael and I are just as great or something," Daniel added.

"Not as famous as Harry, though," Michael commented. "He's a legend."

"He was going to be our uncle," Daniel continued. "Uncle Bill told us that he was head-over-heals for our aunt, but she ran off and the family acts like she's dead. We've never met her. How cool would that be to have Harry as our uncle?"

"He's already our godfather," said Michael. "He's our parents' best friend and practically family already. He doesn't need to marry our non-existent aunt."

"It would still be cool, though," Danny mumbled.

"Why would it be cool?" Holly asked.

"Because he's cool!" Daniel exclaimed. "He's great at Quidditch, he got rid of You-Know-Who, and he's considered one of the most powerful wizards in the world!"

"Who did he get rid of?"

Michael and Daniel gaped at the blonde girl sitting across from them. Finally, Michael snapped out of his shocked spell. "Sorry, Holly, I keep forgetting you don't know much about the wizarding world. Funny, though, since your mum was a witch. Didn't she tell you all about this?"

Holly shook her head. "She hasn't said much. She's always been so secretive and now I feel so stupid!"

"That is funny," Daniel replied. "It's alright, though. There are plenty of muggle-borns who don't know much about our world. You'll catch up quick enough."

"But who did he get rid of?" Holly persisted. "You never told me."

Daniel passed a dark look to Michael. "You tell her. The story still gives me the willies."

"Alright," Michael agreed. "It all started fifty years ago…" Michael continued the long story about Tom Riddle who then became Voldemort and was later defeated by Harry Potter. By the time Michael was finished, the Hogwarts Expressed was almost to its destination and the three were hurrying to get their robes on.

"Amazing," Holly breathed when Michael finished and she had gotten her robes on. "My mum knows him."

"Of course she does," said Daniel. "All witches and wizards know Harry. Like Michael explained, he's famous."

The train came to an abrupt stop in and Holly nearly fell headfirst into Daniel who was standing across from her. The scramble to get out of the crowded train and onto the platform was difficult, but Holly managed to get off without getting too hurt. However, she lost both Michael and Daniel by the time she stepped off the train.

"First years! First years over here!"

Holly heard the high-pitched voice above the crowd and shoved her way to a sharp-looking, middle-aged woman who was holding a lantern high in the air and seemed to be the source of the commotion. "First years! First years over here!"

After several minutes of listening to her horrible, crackling voice, about forty first years were led down to a fleet of rowboats at the edge of a vast lake. Holly was herded into one boat with three other first years that she didn't recognize while she saw Michael and Daniel at the opposite side of the shore getting into a rowboat with two other students. She dearly wished she was sitting with them again, but as soon as she was seated, the rowboat took off into the lake. Holly looked around her curiously to see how they were moving, but no one was doing anything! It was almost like the boat was rowing itself!

"It's magic," a girl next to Holly breathed.

The world was pitch-black and freezing cold around the blonde-haired girl and she couldn't decide where she was. The sky was dark gray with clouds and the water as black as the air surrounding her. While on the train, Holly had guessed that they were in the middle of the wilderness, but why would there be a school so far away from civilization?

Half way across the lake, Holly noticed the gigantic castle that they were heading to. It was on the edge of a cliff above the lake and the reflection from the lights sparkled on the water. The castle grew bigger as the fleet of rowboats approached it and soon enough, the first years were piling out of the rowboats and following the woman with the lantern up a pathway up to the front doors. The doors opened and there stood a man about six feet tall with black hair. Holly immediately recognized the man as the one who broke her nose at the pub. What was he doing here?

"Professor, I have the first years," the woman said to the man.

"Thank you," the man answered and motioned for the first years to enter the front hall. Holly looked around in awe at her new environment. It was warm for one thing, but it was beautiful! Chatter could be heard coming from one of the other doors, but the man led the group of students into another quiet room across the hall.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," the man greeted the students with a smile. "Many of you know me, but for those of you who don't, I am Professor Potter and your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. In just a minute, you will enter the Great Hall and will be sorted into houses. There are four houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin." Holly could have sworn he had spat on the last word, but she also had sneezed at the same time. "Alright, follow me."

Holly waited for Michael and Daniel before following the professor. "Professor Potter?" she asked excitedly. "I've met him before!"

"You have?" Daniel answered, "Well, then, that's Harry Potter. He's also the guy that sent you your letter, don't you remember? He's the Deputy Headmaster here." Holly thought hard until she remembered her mother mentioning him a couple of times. That seemed like such a long time ago!

Inside the Great Hall, four long tables were filled with students all turning their heads to watch the first years march down the center isle. At the front of the hall was another table filled with staff members and in the center was an older woman just as sharp as the one Holly met at the train station. The woman's eyes were not staring at the students, though, but at a three-legged stool that Holly hadn't noticed before. The stool was holding a battered-looking hat that seemed to catch everyone else's attention quickly as the room became silent. To Holly's astonishment, the hat not only began to talk, but it sang!

Oh look at you young first years!

How frightened you all look

To see a hat speaking words

Better than any famous book!

But I am just a small sight

Of all that you will see

As you continue Hogwarts

You will see better things than me!

For those destined for Hufflepuff,

You will meet great friends.

Your hard-working classmates

Will be there to the bitter end.

For those who find Gryffindor

A house full of their own,

You'll see a world full of courage

And your bravery will be known.

For those who see Ravenclaw

As a house worthy of entrance,

Your intellect will surpass all others,

And your brain will be a greater sense.

To those who enter Slytherin,

Your cleverness exceeds

To help you achieve great ends,

And accomplish great deeds.

So now you must be wondering

To which house will you go?

None of the teachers will tell you

Only one in this room can know.

I see what's in your head,

What your heart's great desire,

And if you put me on,

I will put you in the house you aspire.

As the song ended, Holly's body was glued to the ground in shock. Not only was a hat talking to her, but it seemed to be talking to her, too! No wait, it couldn't have been talking to just her. There were forty other first years in this room- maybe everyone was feeling the way she did? Holly shivered at the thought. This was just getting creepy.

"When I call your name, please come forward and put the hat on. Once it announces your house, please take a seat at that table. Azar, Jordan!" Professor Potter called out and a boy will curly brown hair walked shyly to the stool. After a several moments while sitting on the stool with a hat on his head, the brim of the hat opened and called out "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Bennett, Emily!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"So, what house would you want to be in?" Michael whispered to Holly between rounds of clapping.

"I don't know, how about you?" she returned.

"We'll probably be in Gryffindor," Daniel muttered on her other side. "Our whole family was in Gryffindor."

"Gregory, Michelle!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Jordelli, Alice!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Leedom, Ryan!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"I don't know," Holly whispered back. "What do you think would be a good house?"

"Gryffindor or Ravenclaw," Michael mumbled. "You seem like a Ravenclaw girl, though."

"Miller, Holly!"

"Good luck!"

Holly jumped and her heart began to race loud and fast. She felt Daniel and Michael nudging her and when she finally began to take steps of her own, she found herself in front of the stool and being forced into it by another hand. In another second, the hat was plopped onto her head and she waited.

"Ah, an intelligent one, you are!" a small voice echoed in her head. "You have plenty of potential and your mind is very well developed. You are a studier, aren't you? But you won't find your true friends among those in Ravenclaw."

"What?" Holly thought.

"No, you will not be happy in Ravenclaw. You are more like your mother than you think. You had better go to GRYFFINDOR!"

The last word was blasted into the hall and the hat was whipped off her head. Professor Potter helped her up and pushed her to the Gryffindor table where the crowd was cheering excitedly. She sat own, feeling a bit relieved and a bit confused. What did the hat mean, 'she was more like her mother than she thought'? She had always considered herself to be more her father's daughter!

"Nott, Aaron!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Roberts, Devon!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Sullivan, Emma!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Tyron, Bryce!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

Several more names later, the last two students that were standing were-

"Weasley, Daniel!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Weasley, Michael!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor crowd erupted in applause louder than for any other student. Holly clapped along with everyone else as Michael and Daniel joined her. "I guess you're not a Ravenclaw girl, after all," Michael laughed.

"Yeah," said Holly. "I guess I'm not."


	8. Chapter 5

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Chapter 5**_

**A/N: Alright, you must forgive me! I have been working on this chapter for several weeks and it has taken me forever to get it to my satisfaction. I hope you enjoy it and thank you to all who reviewed!

* * *

**

The first day at Hogwarts is usually an exciting day for most students. _Most _is the key word here. For Holly Miller, this was far from exciting as she could get.

After the feast, Holly had been introduced to her four new roommates and their own dorm. It was very apparent by the way that the other girls were talking that they must have known each other for a very long time because the other four immediately dove into a long conversation about their lives and Holly found herself on the sidelines just listening. She had nothing to say and could not even possibly relate to anything the other girls mentioned. It was obvious that the other girls were very acquainted with the wizarding world as they mentioned books, magazines, etc. that were clearly not from the other world. After an hour, Holly finally dozed off. The other four girls looked at Holly's sleeping form with odd expressions on their face.

"What is her problem?" said one girl defensively.

Another shook her head. "Maybe she thinks we're boring."

"Well, then she must not live in the wizarding world," a third piped in. "Anyone living in the wizarding world would know exactly what we're talking about."

"Perhaps she just stuck up. There's a girl in Ravenclaw that I have know for a few years who acts just like that. Every time I talk to her, she just zones out," said the fourth.

"Either way, that's not very friendly of her," the third commented. "Maybe she just doesn't want any friends."

"She could be shy," said the second.

"She could be," the first said thoughtfully. "But I'm not about to go making friends with her if she doesn't want them." The other girls agreed in unison and went back into another flow of conversation that lasted way past midnight and into the early hours of the next morning.

* * *

The most successful thing that Holly accomplished that morning was getting to her first class on time. First, she had slept in too late and when she did awake, the other girls were gone. Now she was late getting ready and when she tried to hurry, she accidentally put on her robes inside out and never found this out until she got to breakfast and some third year Ravenclaws started to laugh at her. By the time she had fixed the mistake in the bathroom on the fourth floor, the bell rang for their first class and Holly was forced to find it by herself as the girls in her dorm seemed to be avoiding her for some reason. This was definitely not turning out to be what Holly expected… 

"My name is Professor Bones," their History of Magic teacher introduced herself. "History is _such _an interesting subject!Oh, you will _love_ this class! Does anyone know anything about wizarding history? How about recent events?"

A few of the Ravenclaws (who were teamed up wit the Gryffindors in this class) mentioned bits and pieces about Goblins, Warlocks, Werewolves, but nothing seemed to satisfy Professor Bones until Michael Weasley raised his hand.

"Harry Potter defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort, ma'am," Michael announced.

Professor Bones' eyes sparkled with glee. "_Precisely!" _she exclaimed and went into a full depth story about he own role in the war.

"You see?" she concluded. "History isn't just the past- it's the future, too! We all have a part to play and everything that's happening now will be history!" The bell rang just in time because no matter how interesting that lecture was to her, Holly seemed to zone out like a hippo on a hot day.

After the students exited the classroom, Holly went on a mission to find Michael and Daniel, but both brothers had disappeared. In fact, in a matter of minutes, Holly was walking by herself to her next class: potions.

The dungeon where the potions class was held was dark, cold, and damp. During her entire walk to class, all Holly could think of was mold, allergies, and impending death. "This place is like a mold-bomb waiting to explode," Holly whispered to herself. "This should be illegal? Don't they know that mold is bad for you?"

"Aye! We've been telling that to Filch for years!" a painting to Holly's left laughed. Holly screamed in fright and ran down the rest of the way to the classroom. Once again, Holly was sliding in after the bell and took a seat in the last row. The instructor in front of her glared before turning back to the rest of the class.

"If you don't already know, let me remind you. The class begins _at _the bell, not after it," said the teacher, shooting Holly an annoyed look. "Now, this class is not about spells, charms, or any magic that you can see with your eyes. This is about the magic bonding between elements…" And so the teacher droned on. Holly was just thankful that she was in the back of the classroom. It was less likely that the teacher would catch her sleeping.

Lunch was a lonely event like the rest of the day had been and no matter how good the food was, it still couldn't make her horrible feelings go away. It seemed like everyone was avoiding her, even Michael and Daniel who she had befriended the previous day. What was going on?

Casting an eye down the table, she saw the twin brothers laughing and talking with the rest of the first year Gryffindors and some older students as well. It was quite evident by the sound of their conversation that Michael and Daniel were liked a whole lot better than herself. That was probably because they were famous…or their parents were famous…or their parents' friend was famous! Well, who cares? The point was that Holly was sitting miserably alone while everyone else around her proceeded to ignore her. Great. This was just the perfect first day of school!

Before leaving the Great Hall after finishing her lunch, Holly read the rest of her schedule. It looked like she was quite booked between today and eternity (eternity meaning that weekend). Stuffing the schedule back in her book bag, she was finally early to a class: Charms. However, even this thought wasn't very comforting when there seemed to be no one in the world to share her joy with.

* * *

The first week of school went by as quick as a turtle on a winter's night. By the time Friday came around, Holly had been introduced to all of her classes and found that she was not doing well in any of them. Perhaps this could be because she was always sitting in the back, but Holly was convinced that it was because her mother had lied to her and she really wasn't a witch after all. This could also be the reason why she would dare spend her Friday afternoon in a secluded corner of the Gryffindor Common Room reading "Standard Book of Spells Grade 1" while all of the other students were outside enjoying their first afternoon off.

When dinnertime came around, Holly still could not master any of her spells, although she had finished her three foot-parchment essay for her Charms class. Finally giving up and spending another lonely meal at the Gryffindor table, Holly decided that it was about time to write a well-worded letter to her mother.

Holly entered the empty dorm and sat on her bed (the first bed on the right if you were walking in) and pulled out a piece of parchment. Dipping her quill into the ink bottle and hovering over her paper in contemplation, Holly slowly began to let her thoughts flow on the page in front of her.

_Dear Mum,_

_I just finished my first week here at Hogwarts. I'm sorry I haven't written sooner, but I've been quite busy. I was sorted into some house called Gryffindor, but it's not that great of a house. The people here are extremely rude. I don't think the girls in my dorm have said one word to me since I got here._

At that moment, the other four girls came waltzing into the room, laughing and joking, paying no attention to Holly whatsoever. They each sat at the end of their beds and began discussing what they were going to be doing that weekend and with whom. By the sounds of it, Gryffindor was going to play host to a huge dorm party…if that was even allowed. Either way, this news just angered Holly more as once again, she was left out of the conversation and after a few minutes of listening to it, she went back to the letter she was writing with more anger and annoyance than before.

_In fact, I am positive that they don't even know my name. They sit there, talking about everything under the sun and not even once look at me. I, of course, know nothing about what they are talking about and there's never any room in their conversation to say anything. These girls are brats!_

_On top of this, I swear the teachers hate me. Professor Vane, the potions teacher, picks on me at every class. Ever since I was late to that first class, she thinks that I'm stuck up and whenever she asks a question, her eyes drill holes into the back of my head and calls on me to spit out the answer. Of course I don't know the answer! She's supposed to be teaching the class, not us teaching ourselves! Then, my the first potion I tried making caught on fire, then caught the desk next to me on fire, which caused someone else's book-bag to catch on fire…and next thing I know it, I'm being doused with a fountain of water (which I swear Professor Vane aimed at me with the pure pleasure of torture). I'm not even on fire, here!_

_Then there's astronomy…I have this really had teacher, Professor Laumie, who thinks assigns us a mountain of homework each week. The book she assigned us tells us NOTHING about the stars, constellations, planets, etc. that we are supposed to research, so I make everything up. Then, I'm getting horrible marks in her class because I have to make everything up and now she thinks that I'm supposed to be this wise-crack! How am I supposed to know which planet Jupiter is? I'm supposed to be a doctor, not an astrologist! I have never believed in divination, anyways._

_Professor Potter isn't as great as everyone thinks, either. He decided to start us off learning about basic defense. So far, the only thing I've learned so far is that he must have eyes in the back of head because he seems to know when you're falling asleep…_

_This place is boring, Mum! I've never been so miserable in my life. I miss everything- my friends, shopping, having conversations about stuff that I understand- everything! This place is like prison! Even the portraits laugh at me every time I walk by! Why did you send me here? Sure, _you _had a fun time, but I sure am not! Get met out of here!_

_-You're Daughter_

_Holly_

Holly put down her quill which was smoking now and blew on the ink to make it dry faster. Once she was satisfied, she sealed it shut and put it on the table next to her bed and resolved to send it off early the next morning before everyone else was up. The other girls were still talking amongst each other (what in the world could they be talking about for five days straight?) when Holly shut her eyes and drifted off.

* * *

Around six the next morning, Holly crept out of bed and made her way to the Owlry where her owl, Yaelim, was perched high up in the rafters. Upon seeing her young mistress, the owl swooped down and landed on Holly's shoulder. At least one thing was glad to see her! 

"Hey girl, want to take a letter to my mum?" the owl hooted happily and Holly was about to give her the letter when she saw that it was blank. Taking out a muggle pen from her pocket (which she always carried around just in case), she wrote her mum's name across the front: _Ginny Miller._

Footsteps on the stairs behind her caused Holly to freeze and her heart to pound ten times harder. Holly stood stiff and waited until the person entered the room and then collided with her, knocking her to the ground and her letter out of her hands.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the man apologized. Holly looked up to see Professor Potter holding a hand to help her up. She grabbed it and pulled herself off the ground and was about to pick up the letter, but Professor Potter picked it up first. He was about to give it to her when he noticed the name on the front. "Ginny?" he looked at Holly curiously.

"No, my name is Holly. Ginny is my mother," Holly explained with a shrug. "Why?"

Harry waved a hand and shook it off. "I knew a Ginny a long time ago. Well, her name was Ginevra, actually. Anyways, it just startled me, that's all," Professor Potter confessed. "She's supposedly dead now."

"Oh," said Holly sympathetically. Professor Potter smiled sadly and then turned to his own white began tying a letter to his owl's leg. Holly turned to her own owl, doing the same, and then sent her off. When Holly left the Owlry, Professor Potter's owl was gone, but he was staring off into the distance in thought. Holly decided to creep out quietly in case he remembered that students were not allowed to be out of their dorm at this hour…

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	9. Chapter 6

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Chapter 5**_

**A/N: This chapter isn't long, but I wrote another author's note at the bottom of it. I am leaving tomorrow to go on vacation so I will not be around for a week. However, I do plan to update once I come back, so keep your eye out! Thanks to the people who reviewed! I really appreciate and please review more! I feel a bit pathetic now…

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**

Just as the week was long, the weekend was even longer. At least during the week, Holly was occupied with classes. Now that it was weekend, her only company was her pile of books. This didn't last long, though, as she managed to finish all her homework before noon on Saturday and the rest of the day, she wondered around the castle aimlessly until she finally settled in the library. Here, she managed to run into Michael and Daniel who were both studying by themselves.

Holly sat across from them and watched them as they fumbled with their Transfiguration assignment. "You spelled 'forest' wrong," she observed, "Michael, and Daniel- it's three taps and a click, not three clicks and a tap. You got that backwards."

Both boys looked up at her in amazement. "How did you remember that?" Daniel asked.

"Are you trying to tell us that you can pay attention in Professor Hardy's class?" Michael added. "You're crazy!"

Holly blushed slightly. "I did my homework already," she said simply. "I guess that's all I can do with no one to talk to."

Michael looked a little uneasy at Daniel who shared the same expression. "Yeah," Michael said, "about that."

"Well, it's gotten around Hogwarts that you are…well…" Daniel tried to say.

"Rude? Selfish? Muggle-born?" Holly interrupted angrily.

Michael scratched the top of his head. "No, not 'Muggle-born.' That one got shot down after we told people that your Mum was a witch."

"WHAT?" Holly exclaimed. "Since when is being Muggle-born a bad thing?"

"Never!" Daniel answered. "We totally agree with you on that one! But the other ones…well…you haven't made yourself very favorable. Jaclyn and Emma have been telling everyone how stuck up you are because you never talk to anyone and act so superior."

Tears welled up in Holly's eyes and she fought hard to keep them back. "What are you talking about? I don't act that way."

"I'm sure you don't, Holly," Michael agreed. "It's just that no one else believes us and we don't want to get on the wrong side of things…"

"So you're telling me that we can't be friends because some little brats are running around telling lies about me and you can't stand up for me because you will lose your popularity?" Holly said in astonishment.

Both boys looked quite guilty and refused to look her straight in the eye. "Come on, Holly," Michael said. "You have to admit that you don't talk to people much…"

Holly looked enraged. "Because I have nothing to say! How am I supposed to get into a conversation when I don't even understand what it's about? I didn't grow up in the wizarding world! I grew up knowing nothing about Hogwarts! How could you even expect me- even think that I- You know what? Those girls are prats and so are you!"

With tears flowing down her face, Holly ran to the nearest bathroom and cried until she couldn't cry any longer. It appeared empty and for a few hours, Holly felt quite alone. She couldn't believe that her two only friends at Hogwarts had both turned their backs on her. "Popularity," she spat. "Stupid."

"Do people make fun of you, too?" a voice said next to her. Holly screamed and she jumped into the ice cold plunge of a ghost which made her gag for air and fight to get out. "Oh fine, be like that! No one ever cares about me!" And the ghost burst into tears and glided to the toilet that Holly had been sitting on and dove in.

Holly stared at the toilet for a second before the ghost reappeared. "I'm sorry," Holly said. "I didn't mean to make you cry. You just frightened me and I've had such a horrible week." Tears crawled down Holly's cheeks, but her voice was still steady.

"You had a horrible week? I've had a horrible life! No one ever cares about me! No one ever comes to visit me! 'Moaning Myrtle' is what they call me! Why can't anyone care?" And Holly found out why the ghost was nicknamed 'Moaning Myrtle.' The ghost let out a loud wail that sent Holly running out of the bathrooms and her roommates.

Holly shot the group a hateful glare before running down the rest of the corridor and back into her dorm. She moped for the rest of the day and had no appetite for dinner that night. When she went to sleep that night, she felt bitter and angry towards everything and anything around her. As far as she was concerned, Hogwarts was the worst school in England.

* * *

Something odd occurred between when Holly went to sleep that Saturday night and when she woke up the next morning. Whether it was because she had nothing to do, had a weird dream about running through the school in her underwear, or because she was just plain bitter, it didn't matter- she had had it and she wasn't going to take much more of this. Holly wasn't Alex Miller's for no reason- she had a brain and she had a plan. She was going to make those four girls pay for ruining her life.

After taking a quick shower, brushing her hair and teeth, Holly made her way to the hospital wing. There were a few other students who looked like they had had a run-in with a few hexes and a snow blower, but Holly ignored them as she approached the intern who was following the school nurse like a leech.

Holly poked the girls' side shyly and whispered, "I've got a problem."

The older girl (for she couldn't have been much older than nineteen) looked down at Holly and smiled. "What is it?"

"I can't sleep," Holly confessed.

"Oh, really? Why can't you sleep?" asked the intern.

Holly shrugged. "I don't know. I've just been a bit sad lately."

"Are you homesick?"

Holly nodded with the right look of embarrassment to be convincing.

The witch gave Holly a sympathetic look and went to the cupboard where she took out a bottle full of purple liquid. The witch put it in Holly's hand and said, "Make sure you drink it right before you go to bed and go to bed early. A few drops will help you sleep for about eight hours. I hope you feel better, Hun."

"Thank you," Holly smiled broadly and nearly skipped out of the hospital wing. "Thank you for your help," she said again to herself when she was out of earshot and looking down at the liquid. "Perfect."

* * *

Dinner was much brighter that night and Holly didn't even mind that the other students were giving her odd looks and even laughing at her. She had guessed that it had gotten around that she was homesick. Homesick? Oh, she was going to show them homesick!

Holly left the Great Hall (make sure to "accidentally" hit Michael and Daniel really hard in the head with her school bag) and she turned to go down towards the dungeons. Well, she was on her way down towards the dungeons when she quickly turned right, then left, ran down the hall, made a few more turns and ended up in front of a portrait of a bowl of fruit. This was supposedly where the kitchens were if the portraits were correct on giving directions (the weird guy in the knight outfit couldn't be trusted very much).

Holding her hand out, she tickled the pair on the left and it magically turned into a handle and then opened. Holly walked in and found herself surrounded by eager little house elves. The sight was amazing! As much food as you could think of eating sitting here exactly right below the Great Hall. This by itself was magic!

However, this wasn't what Holly was looking for. Turning to the house elves around her, she said to them, "I need a batch of brownies, but I will need to have this stuff put into it." Holly pulled the bottle of sleeping potion out of the pocket in her robes and handed it to one of the house elves. "This is for me from the Hospital Wing. They told me to mix this with food and eat it before I go to bed in order to get a good night's sleep."

The house elves were as happy to make the brownies as a monkey is when it gets a banana. Before she could think do anything else, the house elves handed her the platter of brownies and Holly made her way up to her dorm. As was expected, the dorm was empty.

"Well, ladies," Holly said to no one. "I hope you enjoy this!" Taking out a quill and some parchment, Holly scribbled a note:

"To the First Year Gryffindor Girls,

Love, your secret admirer."

Holly placed the platter of brownies on Emma's bedside table before turning back to her own bed and shutting the curtains. After a few minutes, she was asleep and never heard her roommates enter the room nor eat the brownies. In fact, it was quite peaceful for most of the night and for the first time since she came to Hogwarts, Holly slept peacefully. The potion really does work!

* * *

**A/N: I just want to let you know that I didn't want to leave this stopped right here. I am just running out of time and energy. However, here are a few things to expect from the next chapter: what's happens with Holly's roommates, how the other girls get revenge, and Holly has another talk with Harry that will be a bit longer than the one in the Owlry (and legal). I am so sorry for stopping right here! Please don't be mad at me! If you are, review and tell me how angry you are with me!**


	10. Chapter 7

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Chapter 7**_

**A/N: Alright, I hope all of you enjoy this! I made this extra long to make up for my past few short chapters. Things are…actually getting somewhere. I guess they aren't going as fast as some of you may like, but you have to give me the benefit of the doubt. After all, Ginny can't come back in until Christmas and I finally managed to bring this to October! Anywho, thanks to all of you who reviewed: Dauby, tangozgirlscout, mikaygirl, mean titan, and teela32. I am a bit wary that I can count all of you on one hand, but at least you reviewed. Thanks!

* * *

**

Late that night, the girls in Holly's dorm came in with their loud and obnoxious voices. It was very obvious that none of the girls had much consideration for waking up Holly. Emma, the leader the gang, was the first to spot the brownies (as they were placed on her bedside table.)

"Oh, Maggie!" Emma said to a brunette girl next to her. "They're brownies!" Emma picked up the platter while Maggie opened the note and read it aloud.

"It's to all of us!" Maggie exclaimed. "'To the First Year Gryffindor Girls, Love, your secret admirer.' Oh wow! We have a secret admirer!"

A shorter blonde girl glanced at Holly's bed and turned back to the other three girls who were now helping themselves to brownies. "Should we leave some for Holly? They _are _addressed to all of us and since she _is _a first year Gryffindor…"

Emma snorted. "Since when does she deserve anything, Cynthia? Don't you remember that dirty look she gave us yesterday? She's a brat."

"I was only saying," Cynthia said defensively, "maybe we _ought _to be nice to her. You know, we haven't exactly been the welcome wagon and she wasn't born in the wizarding world like we were."

The last girl spit brownie all over Cynthia as she burst out laughing. "Whose side are you on, Cynthia? Hers or ours?"

Cynthia folded her arms and looked at the girl squarely. "We shouldn't have to be taking sides, Jasmine. She's a Gryffindor just like us and if you haven't noticed, she is the most outcast student here. What's wrong with us?"

"What's wrong with you?" Maggie said between bites. "Look, we're not the ones who are stuck up."

Cynthia rolled her eyes and went to bed without having a single bite. She felt a small pang of pity for the girl she was defending, but if she had known what Holly was up to, she might have been a little less ready to come to her aid.

* * *

The alarm rang the next morning at seven thirty sharp and Holly woke up feeling quite well. Pulling her curtains back, she was surprised to see Cynthia falling out of bed next to her. For a moment, Holly was taken back and was about to ask the girl if she had ate the brownies, but it was apparent that she hadn't. Cynthia didn't even look at Holly as she went into the bathroom to wash up and Holly surveyed her other roommates. The other three were still fast asleep and it looked like they would be for quite a while.

"Hey, ladies! It's time to wake up!" Cynthia called as she noticed, too, that her friends were still fast asleep. "Maggie! Emma! Jasmine! Come on, we have to get to class!"

"I don't think they're going to wake up," Holly said, trying to keep the straightest face that she could.

Cynthia looked unbelievable and left the room muttering, "Fine, if they're not going to wake up, they can be late for class…"

When the door shut, Holly skipped into the bathroom with a broad grin on her face. "Yes, it worked!" she thought. Then she remembered that Cynthia had still woken up. Would she get the connection? Maybe, maybe not. Holly crossed her fingers and prayed that she wouldn't.

At breakfast, there was still not sign of the girls. Holly ate her eggs happily even though she was still the loneliest Gryffindor at the table. This lasted all through History of Magic, as well, until the last ten minutes when the three girls finally showed up. Holly tried to keep from laughing. The angry expressions on the other girls' faces were priceless.

"Why didn't you wake us up, Cynthia?" Jasmine asked at their next class. The three girls had been reprimanded by Professor Bones and this put them in a worse mood.

Cynthia looked annoyed. "I _did_ try to wake you up. It's not my fault you spent all night eating those brownies."

"There was something in those brownies, weren't there?" Emma accused.

"I don't know," Cynthia replied. "If it was placed there on purpose, then whoever did it did an excellent job of deceiving you. Don't blame their childish prank on me."

* * *

Holly was in quite a good mood all through potions, lunch, and even charms. After her classes were finished, she was on her way to the library when she got caught by Cynthia in one of the corridors.

"I've got to ask you," she whispered, "if you were the one who put the sleeping potion in the brownies."

Holly looked quite serious as she shook her head.

Cynthia turned to make sure the coast was clear before she turned back to her. "Look, there are more than one way to find out what you want here. You can lie to me all day, but I know for a fact that you were given a bottle of sleeping potion yesterday. Now, did you put it in those brownies?"

Holly still didn't say anything and Cynthia took this response as a positive. "I'm not going to tell anyone that you did, but if you expect to make friends here, you better find a better motive because this one stinks."

Cynthia disappeared without giving Holly a chance to respond and this made the latter feel a tad bit guilty along with being furious. Holly didn't show up to the dorm that night until after the other girls were in bed (a first) and the only person who seemed to notice was Cynthia.

* * *

It did not take Emma, Jasmine, and Maggie long to find out that it was Holly that had "poisoned" their brownies. Even before Tuesday was over, the whole school knew about it and Holly received glares from every first year (she was sure that she would have gotten more if more people knew who she was and she was thankful that they did not).

Holly watched her back for the rest of the day and mostly kept to herself. On the one side, she felt complete victory getting back at the other girls, but somehow, this victory couldn't hide the fact that she was terrible at magic. After leaving Transfiguration without even producing a spark, she spent the rest of the afternoon in the library doing her homework. She practiced long and hard to make that stupid match turn into a pin, but would it change? Of course not! It would just stare defiantly back at her with a stubborn expression that said, "You cannot make me change! I won't change!" And this frustrated Holly more and more.

Holly woke up early Wednesday morning and got out of the dorm long before the other girls woke up. She was sending another letter to her mum and this time, she demanded to be taken out of this horrible institute. _"The girls are snots!"_ she wrote feverishly. _"I have never been so insulted and unpopular in my life!"_ However, she didn't know what good this would do or even if the letter would get to her mother. Ginny hadn't replied to Holly's first letter, not even sending one to acknowledge her daughter's hurt feelings and this infuriated Holly even more.

The first lesson of the morning was Defense Against Dark Arts and Holly was hardly prepared for it at all. They were learning about dark creatures and ways to avoid them. Today, they would be going over Jayucks.

"These are funny little creatures," Professor Potter said, holding one of these gross things by their tails. The creatures looked liked a gopher with a scaly head and a monkey's tail. "Most of them are completely harmless. The only time they are dangerous is when they sense an attack. Their teeth are so poisonous that they can kill a hippogriff in a matter of minutes. For a human, it could be a matter of seconds." Professor Potter dropped the creature back in its cage and the Jayuck hid in a little burrow that it had created for itself.

"It also has some extraordinary powers," the teacher went on. "Does anyone know what those are?"

"They have the power to shape-shift other creatures!" Daniel exclaimed with his hand in the air.

"Five points to Gryffindor," Professor Potter beamed. "Very good, Mr. Weasley. Anyone know what the advantage of this is?"

A Ravenclaw raised her hand and Professor Potter nodded to her. "It is a defense mechanism. If they believe that they are being attacked, they can turn the predator temporarily into another creature that is quite harmless giving the Jayuck time to run away."

"Five points to Ravenclaw!" Professor Potter replied. "For your homework, I would like each of you to write three feet of parchment on the Jayuck's defense strategies and relate it to other branches of magic such as Transfiguration and Potions. That is all."

The class jumped up all at once and made for the exit, but Holly stayed behind. Professor Potter didn't seem to notice her presence as she was the only student in the classroom, so she walked over to the cage where the Jayuck was curled up. She carefully looked over his texture, body length, and anything else that might prove useful to write an essay over. She was about to turn away when she fell to the ground.

"GEORGE!"

Holly looked around only to find that she was no longer a human, but a bird. She jumped in fright and her wings caught the air. She flew in frantic circles around the room until a huge bang caused her to fall to the ground.

"I'm sorry, Harry! I couldn't help it!" a red-haired man laughed as he stood next to the empty cage.

Professor Potter picked her up and muttered the counter-curse and she was brought back to her human state. Well, almost. Instead of long, blond hair, she had bright red locks that surrounded her face.

Professor Potter and the man, George, both looked at her frightened face curiously. "What happened to me?" she cried. "You!" Holly pointed at George accusingly. "You are the jayuck! You turned me into a bird!"

George grinned happily. "Indeed, I did," George answered with pride. "It's a new experiment that Fred and I have been playing with. We still have got to get the bugs out, though. Didn't you have blonde hair?"

Holly pulled on one of her locks of hair and screamed. "MY HAIR! YOU RUINED MY HAIR!"

"George! Fix it!"

"I can't, Harry! We haven't gotten all the bugs out!"

"George!"

"MY HAIR!"

POOF!

The room filled with smoke and when it cleared, Professor Potter was pointing his wand at Holly. "Um, perhaps you ought to see Madam Hertz," Professor Potter told her. "She could probably fix this up. George, care to go with her and explain this mess?"

George saluted Harry and lead Holly out of the classroom. Both were silent the entire way, but George kept giving her curious looks. "What, do I have feathers in my hair, too?" she said angrily.

"Huh? Oh no, you don't," George answered, but still with the same look. "You just look horribly familiar. Have we met before?"

Holly shook her head as she honestly had never seen this man in her entire life. Yet, there was something familiar in him, too, that she recognized. The two reached the Hospital Wing and the intern did her best to try to fix Holly's hair, but to no avail. They tried counter-curses, potions, hair-dye, and everything else imaginable. Even Madam Hertz was puzzled.

"I have never seen such a jinx in my life!" she proclaimed. "I will look in a few books and see if I can find anything better. Come back tomorrow, Holly, and we will try to change your hair back. Mr. Weasley, I suggest you make yourself scarce before Minerva finds out about this."

George saluted the woman and exited the hospital wing. Holly left a few minutes later and entered her next class, Herbology, late. She wished very much that she didn't have to go to class as she could have lived a much better life without all the snickering, snide comments, and harassment about her new hair-do, but Herbology was her best subject so far as it had nothing to do with magic and that was what she was good at.

* * *

A few days passed into weeks. Weeks were passed into months and still, Madam Hertz could not find any branch of magic that would change Holly's hair back. Finally, Professor McGonagall had to be informed and she was brought to the Hospital Wing to examine Holly.

"Very curious," she muttered after she ran a few spells. "I have never run across this complex of magic since Dumbledore was headmaster. I will have a word with Mr. Weasley at once to clear this up."

"Should the ministry be informed?" Madam Hertz asked.

"Heavens, no," McGonagall snapped. "The Weasley twins have gone too far, but they aren't criminals. Let me handle this."

McGonagall left the room and for the millionth time, Holly left the Hospital Wing with flaming red hair. She hated her new hair. It reminded her of her mother, which then reminded her that it was her mother that had sent her here to be tortured where she got the red hair that reminded her of her mother. This caused Holly to write her third furious letter which was finally responded to in the middle of October. The only use of this letter was to be burned as her mother only informed her that everything was peachy at home and that Holly shouldn't worry too much and just try to relax.

"Relax?" Holly said to herself at breakfast. "How in the world am I supposed to relax when everyone hates me and I have red hair? What do you think this place is? Paradise?" Holly closed the letter angrily, grabbed her books, and proceeded up to another exciting lesson in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Professor Potter stood in front of his desk when the students arrived and everyone was astonished to see no desks, but an empty classroom. "Put your bags to the back of the room and only have your wands. This will be a practical lesson. Today, we'll be learning about some basic defense," Professor Potter instructed and the students obeyed with a murmur of excitement.

"Now, I need a volunteer," Professor Potter called out. All of the students raised their hands except Holly. Holly tried to hide in the back of the class. You know how when you try to hide, you do such a horrible job that they notice you more, instead? Yeah, well, when you have red hair, this rule seems to apply. Professor Potter spotted Holly in the back of the room and called her forward. "Miss Miller, please come forth."

Holly felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment as she stood across from her teacher. She could hear people whispering around her and it only made her feel worse.

"Now, listen to my instructions," Professor Potter said. "In a moment, I'm going to whisper a simple spell. It won't do much, but the point is for you to deflect it with the defense spell we have just learned."

Holly nodded and held her wand nervously in front of her. Professor Potter bowed slowly and Holly returned the gesture. The teacher held up his wand and whispered, "Labo!"

The spell hit Holly before she even realized that the spell had left his wand. She fell to he ground face-first and the students around her began to roar with laughter.

"Are you alright?" Professor Potter asked concernedly.

Holly picked herself off the ground and grabbed her wand. Her face turned a dark red as she went back to the group of students and hid in the backgrounds. Professor Potter watched her hide and decided to move on. "Alright, well how about you give it a try, Mr. Patterson," Professor Potter called to a Ravenclaw student.

All of the students were given a chance to stand and face Professor Potter and unlike Holly, they were all able to deflect the spell successfully. This only made Holly feel much worse and the harsh comments towards her increased until she was finally in tears.

The bell rang and the students crowded out of the class. Holly picked her bag, eager to get away from them all, when her bag broke open and everything fell this. This was followed by another round of laughter and teasing. Holly tried to stuff her books back in her bag, but they just fell out again. She sighed with frustration and a hand touched her shoulder from behind.

"Here, let me help you," Professor Potter said as he took Holly's bag and muttered the spell to mend it. He opened it up for Holly to put her books and quills into it and handed it back to her. Holly turned to leave but Professor Potter stopped her. "Come over to my desk for a minute. You won't be late for class, I promise."

Holly followed him to his desk and before he seated himself behind it, a chair magically appeared in front of her. "Sit," he offered more than commanded. Holly obeyed, trying to dry her tears as fast as she could, but it was a lost cause. Professor Potter had seen what had happened and it was no use trying to hide it from him.

"Well, you seem to have yourself in a bind," he commented, looking at Holly casually. "Are you from a wizarding family?"

Holly shook her head. "My mum is a witch, but my father isn't. I didn't grow up in this world," she confessed.

Professor Potter nodded his head in understanding and smiled. "Yeah, that does happen," he said. "You seem very upset. Is there anything bothering you?"

Holding her breath, Holly debated on whether telling him everything or nothing. She didn't want to be a tattle-tale, but at the same time, she was miserable. "Everything," she muttered and then finally let out a sob. "I'm horrible at everything and I don't belong here."

Professor Potter handed her a handkerchief and let her sob for a few minutes and didn't speak until she settled down again. "How are you doing in your other classes?" he inquired.

"Terrible," Holly admitted. "I can do the homework, but I can't do magic at all. Nothing ever happens! 'Swish and flick!' they tell me, but does it really happen? Of course not! I just get more frustrated as I watch everyone else make the stupid feather levitate except me. I don't even think I'm a witch! I'm just a muggle like my dad." She let out huff and her expression challenged her teacher's.

"I don't believe that," Professor Potter countered in an even voice. "Just because your father was a muggle doesn't mean you are destined to be a second-class witch. You're just distressed, that's all. There are many great wizards who have parents who are muggles or muggle-born. My own mum was a muggle-born, in fact, and she was a great witch herself. Same with my best friend, Hermione Granger. She came from a family of muggles and was at the top of her class! See? You don't have to be pure-blood to be a great witch. It's all in your head."

"But everyone hates me," Holly said with more tears. "Since the first day I got here, I was singled out as the most dim-witted person. No one talks to me and every time I screw up, I'm sure to have an audience of people to make fun of me. I was never treated like this at home! I was actually popular there."

Professor Potter listened with an understanding ear. "Trust me, as popular as I am, I've been in your boat many times. In fact, I was hated by everyone all through my fifth year. It's something I can understand, but nothing that will stay permanent. You've got to give it a chance."

"How?" Holly asked.

"There are ways to change the tide," he said warily. "How about this: you come to my office every Thursday night at 8 and I will give you private lessons and help you learn to cast spells. I can't save your popularity, but at least you'll feel much better about yourself and it will give other students less reasons to laugh and tease you. What do you say?"

Holly contemplated the offer. It sounded very tempting, but what would students think if they knew that she was getting lessons?

"No one will know," the professor answered her thoughts. "This will be between you and me."

"Alright, I'll give it a try," Holly gave in. "Eight o'clock?"

"Eight o'clock," Professor Potter answered.

Holly nodded as she walked out of the classroom feeling a little better about things. However, there was still a long way to go before she could be satisfied with life there at Hogwarts.

* * *


	11. Chapter 8

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Chapter 8**_

**A/N: Yes, I know- another long update. What can I say, though? If I updated every single day, you would only get about a paragraph a day ;) So, I just combined it all into one so that you get the whole thing at the same time. I'm so nice, huh? Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I definitely enjoyed writing it and I would like to thank my friend, Rachel, for going through it for me! Thanks!**

- - - - - - - -

As eight o'clock slowly approached on Thursday, Holly spent the time in the library reading. Her homework and her attention were now directed to some light reading: _Tricks and Hints: Fast and Easy Way to Learn Transfiguration! _Holly didn't put down the book until a quarter to eight.

She walked slowly down the corridor, not in a quick hurry to be on time, when she ran into Cynthia on one of the many staircases in the castle. "Hi," Holly mumbled looking at her roommate apprehensively.

"Hi," Cynthia replied. There was a moment of awkward silence before Cynthia broke the spell. "You know…your hair doesn't look so bad. Red, I mean. It's quite…fitting."

Holly pulled at a lock of hair that was gathered in a ponytail. Its bright red color flashed in her eyes before she threw behind her back again. "Uh, thanks," Holly answered, now touching her hair nervously.

Cynthia nodded before looking at her watch. "Well, I...er…better get going," Cynthia said. "See you later." Cynthia passed Holly and the latter stood stunned until her roommate was out of site. Was Cynthia actually being…nice? What was going on?

Holly shook the thoughts out of her head as she tried to concentrate on her meeting with Professor Potter. His office was on the sixth floor and after two more staircases and another three corridors, Holly found herself in front of his office door. She rapped three times on the door before hearing a muffled "Enter" from within. She tentatively entered the office and came upon Professor Potter and Professor McGonagall sitting across from each other and drinking tea.

"Oh, sorry," Holly said, backing out of the room.

"It's alright, Miss Miller," Professor Potter stopped her. "We were just finishing." Her teacher motioned for her to sit down in an extra chair while the Headmistress stood up.

"We will talk again, Harry," Professor McGonagall said before leaving the room and leaving Holly alone with her teacher. For a second, Holly didn't know what to do. This was a bit awkward seeing your teacher outside of the classroom.

Professor Potter got up from behind his desk and took the chair that McGonagall had left vacant. "So, where to begin?" he asked with a good-natured smile. He picked up a piece of parchment out of Holly's bag that must have been her charms homework. "May I?" he looked at her in question. With her permission, Professor Potter looked through the essay, then onto Transfiguration, Astronomy, Potions, Herbology…and finally onto Defense Against the Dark Arts.

After about a half hour of silence while the teacher skimmed through each assignment, Professor Potter finally put down the last essay and let out a breath. "You have a real talent for writing, Miss Miller. These are some of the best essays I've seen in years," Professor Potter praised. "I can definitely see where your strengths are. Have you ever considered a career in writing?"

Holly shrugged her shoulders. "Not really," she admitted. "I have always wanted to be a doctor like my father."

Professor Potter nodded his head and handed back Holly's homework to her. "That's not bad, either. Well, let's get on to the practical form of magic, eh? I can already see you understand what you're doing. You're just having trouble with spells, am I right?"

"I can't make magic," Holly said. "No matter how hard I try, nothing happens or if something does, it's nothing to be proud of."

There was a contemplative look on the teacher's face as he pulled out his own wand and twirled it in his hand. The wand was pretty beat up-looking with little chips and dents all over it. Professor Potter noticed Holly's gaze and smiled. "Wands don't usually get this bad," he said while putting his wand back in his pocket. "Mine just happened to be used a lot when I was younger.

"Alright, get your wand out," Professor Potter instructed. "We'll begin working on some basic wand work."

Holly obeyed quietly, but by the end of the night, she was feeling much comfortable. To her delight (and with some instruction from Professor Potter), she was actually getting the hang of shooting sparks. Twice she set Professor Potter's desk on fire and even burned a hole in his robes before the teacher finally decided to call it a night.

"That was some good work," said the teacher. He glanced at the clock and turned back to Holly. "It looks like we're running out of time. How about we meet again next week, same time?"

"Sure," Holly agreed.

"Excellent. Just keep practicing those wand movements and I think you'll be ready to start working with spells!" Professor said as opened the door for Holly.

Holly moved along the corridors at a fast pace, realizing that it must be after curfew already. It seemed like forever before the portrait appeared in front of her and she gave the password. Inside the common room, it was pretty active, but Holly went straight to her dorm where it was empty. Pulling a blank piece of parchment, she began another letter to her mum. This one was not as harsh as the last dozen.

- - - - - - - -

At ten o'clock, Ginny was sitting at the table, reading the morning paper like she did every morning. Since Holly went to school, the apartment was quieter and Ginny found more time on her hands. Even though she took more hours at the bookstore along with her job in the restaurant, it still didn't fill the silence of her home when she came in late at night. So, to fight this emptiness, Ginny decided to take up a hobby- furniture arranging.

So, far, she had accomplished changing the design of her room eighteen times. She moved the bed in front of the window, behind the window, next to the window, next to the door, and then arranging the rest of her furniture around it. Yet, it still didn't make the room more inviting. So, she left it and went into Holly's room and did the same thing. After she concluded that that was hopeless, she moved onto the living room. A month and sixty-eight failed attempts later, Ginny just decided to get all new furniture.

Once she finished the muggle paper, she was about to go looking through the catalogue when Holly's owl flew into the room via the open kitchen window. Ginny felt her stomach cringe. _Another letter. _She was beginning to dread the letters Holly was sending home. No matter what advice Ginny gave her daughter, the eleven-year-old was just unsatisfied.

"What do you have for me today, Yaelim?" Ginny asked with a sigh. She untied the letter slowly and gave the owl a few treats before it flew through the window again. Sitting back down at the kitchen table, Ginny opened up the letter and skimmed through it. Even after she read the letter, Ginny sat motionless in her seat.

Holly was doing much better. That was good, but what was this? Harry was giving her private lessons? Harry had taken a sudden interest in _her_ daughter? Why?

_Either way, he won't see the connection, Ginny. He thinks you're dead. And Holly doesn't look like you, anyways._

Even if they turned her hair red? I will never forgive George. If anyone finds out that I'm alive…

_But isn't that what you want? _

No, of course not! I just want to live my life!

_Sure, and I'm the Easter Bunny._

I was beginning to wonder who this was…

_Fine, don't listen to your voice of reason. I will just skate out of here._

About time. I didn't even know I had a voice of reason.

_How do you think you've survived life these last thirty-something years?_

I thought you were skating out of here.

_Oh, hush up and get a clue. Maybe this isn't a bad thing. You're daughter is happy and the man of your childhood dreams is paying some attention to her. You're single now. Have you ever considered going back to him?_

What? And really get killed by my family for disappearing for twelve years? You're mad. Harry wouldn't take me back anyways. He made it very clear twelve years ago that it was over.

_You mean- _you_ made it clear._

Why does it matter who made it clear? I made my decision. We went our separate ways. I have a daughter to look after who is more important than anything.

_And when she's gone?_

What's that supposed to mean? She's not leaving me. She's only eleven.

_You can't expect her to live with you for the rest of her life, can you? Don't you want her to get a job, get married, have kids, and live a wonderful life?_

Of course! What crazy parent wouldn't?

_Well, then when she's gone…what will happen to you? Here you are, already hating the loneliness of this small apartment when it's just a taste of the rest of your life. Besides, what have you got to lose?_

My life.

_How?_

I told you that my family was going to murder me. First, I was gone for twelve years and they heard neither hide nor hair from me. Second, they have a granddaughter and niece they never met. Third, everyone thinks I'm dead anyways. Killing me won't change anything, will it?

_You know they wouldn't do that…_

You never grew up with Fred and George!

_Ginny, I've been stuffed in your head for the last thirty-something years. I've watched them try to flush you down the toilet. That explanation won't work with me._

I'm trapped, aren't I?

_Well, that depends. You need companionship, Ginny. You need to get out and find someone who will make you happy. You can't live like a hermit all your life. _

I guess you're right. Why Harry, though?

_It doesn't have to be, but he seems to like your daughter. That's a plus. Also, try to explain to a muggle that you're a witch and that your daughter goes to a school for magic._

Good point. Just give me some time, though, ok? I can't just go barging back into everyone's lives.

_I agree. We've got to do this slowly: starting with seeing your mum._

WHAT?

_Just kidding. I have a better, idea, though…_

Alright, I give in. What's the plan?

- - - - - - - -

After Holly had sent off the letter to her mum, she stopped into an empty classroom to practice her wand movements again. She spent an hour of producing enough sparks to cause the whole room to light up on fire before she headed down to breakfast. She was used to getting to breakfast before everyone else and it didn't bother her that much.

Holly propped up her astronomy book against the orange juice pitcher and began to read it while eating some eggs and toast. She didn't notice when a person sat down next to until she heard their voice next to her, "Wow! Did you read all of that? You're almost done with it and the class is only on chapter 4!"

The girl jumped in surprise and found Cynthia sitting next to her, grabbing a piece of toast and spreading butter on it. "Sorry…I didn't see you there," Holly apologized. "What are you doing here?"

"Eating. What does it look like?" Cynthia teased.

"Aren't you afraid of what people will think if you are caught talking to me?" Holly asked.

Cynthia shook her head and took her eyes off her toast to face Holly. "Not really. You're not that bad of a person," Cynthia confessed. "I'm sorry that we were so rude to you before. It wasn't right. You had every right to be angry with us and I guess we did deserve the brownies. We were stuck up, weren't we?"

Holly stared at her in surprise. "What made you change your mind about me?" she asked curiously.

"A lot of thinking, I guess," she laughed. "Then, when the entire class seemed to think you were a joke…well, that's just wrong. You're a witch, too, and I bet once you get the hang of it, you'll be ten times better than any of them. And you're brave, too. I don't know another soul in this school that would admit that they needed lessons. To me, that says a lot. Will you forgive me?"

Holly grinned- a smile bigger than any she has had since she got to this school. "Sure," Holly said. "Just promise me one thing."

"What?"

"You won't tell anyone that I'm taking private lessons."

Cynthia laughed again and her eyes sparkled with pleasure. "That shouldn't be a problem," she answered. "I don't plan on talking to the other girls until they apologize to you as well. We had a talk last night in the common room. They're still stubborn, but I think they'll come around."

Holly felt her cheeks burn as they turned bright red. "Really? You did that for me?"

"Yeah, I did," Cynthia said. "It's one thing my mum taught me before she died. When you know you're wrong, fix it. She's was a great woman and I know she would be disappointed in me to see how I'm acting now."

"I'm sorry," Holly apologized.

Cynthia smiled wanly. "It's alright," she said. "It was an accident. She was taking a potion for her health, but one of the bottles wasn't mixed right and it killed her. My father didn't think she would have lived much longer, anyways. She had a disease that I can't remember, but never mind that. I had eight good years with her and that's better than none."

"My dad died when I was just a baby," Holly admitted. "Actually, he died minutes after I was born. I never met him at all."

"Oh," Cynthia looked surprised. "I didn't know that."

Holly just shrugged. "It doesn't bother me that much. I never met him and I never knew him. How can I miss someone that I never knew?"

"You're lucky, then," Cynthia replied. "I miss my mum so much sometimes that it hurts."

A crowd of students began to pile into the Great Hall and signaled to Holly that it was about fifteen minutes until class time. Cynthia also picked up on the cue and both of the girls filed out of the hall and walked together to their next class. "I know what you mean about missing your mum," said Holly. "What's worse is when your entire family expects you to replace the person who died. My father was a physician and an honorable man from what people have told me. At this rate, I will never live up to him."

"No one should expect you to replace anyone," Cynthia reasoned. "You should be your own person- live up to your own expectations. If people can't love you for who you are, then they aren't your real friends and family to begin with."

Holly nodded in agreement as they sat down next to each other in their first class of the morning- Transfiguration. She pondered over what Cynthia had said for a few seconds, mulling it through her brain. She had always wanted to follow in her father's footsteps- but was that really what she wanted to do? Did she really want to be a doctor or was she just following a path that people expected her to take? Whose expectations was she living up to? These last few thoughts were tossed to the side as the teacher collected homework and began the lecture. In fact, these thoughts didn't surface again for quite a while.

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**And lastly, I would like to thank my reviewers from the last chapter: ****Kat.Potter****Norbet****life sucks then you die 32****maerose899****dauby****Buffy-CrazyaboutAngel****, freedakangaroos, ****Frodo Freak2****, lilleo, ****MiKaYGiRl****silvirtaj5****, whydouask, Mean titian, Leah, ****siriusbrillantbrunette****, usababy, and ****NazgulGirl****. You're reviews really encouraged me to keep up writing this (and perhaps a little quicker than it would normally have been ;) ). So, thank you so much!**

**Current update: update for both "Only Half Weasley" and "Life in the Green Eyes of a Crazy Potter" should be up by next Wednesday. **


	12. Chapter 9

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Chapter 9**_

**A/N: Hello! I know I promised to have this written a week and a half ago, but a few things got in the way and life took me in another direction. So, life happens :P School is starting for me at the end of the month and guess what? I'll have more time! Yes, you heard right: MORE time. How, you ask? Well, I don't know. I think time just slows down when school starts. Father time knows that you're in agony and wants you to endure it for as long as you can. Anyways, thank you so much to all who reviewed! I appreciate it so much! You guys really made my day and are truly the best ) I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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"Where are we going, Professor?" Holly asked as she followed Professor Potter down to the Entrance Hall and out the front doors. Holly pulled her cloak tighter around her as the cold wind stung her skin. It was mid-afternoon at the end of October and while she would normally be having lessons that evening, Professor Potter had sent her a note early that day requesting a meeting with her earlier in the day.

Professor Potter slowed his pace to let Holly catch up with him. "We're going down to the Quidditch Pitch," he told her. "Professor Hunt told me that you were having difficulty learning to ride a broomstick. I have to supervise the Gryffindor Quidditch team's session, so we'll kill two birds with one stone. Do you know how to play Quidditch, Holly?"

Holly shook her head and it encouraged Professor Potter to explain the rules of the game to her. By the time he was done describing everything about the game, both of them were standing in front of the Quidditch Shed. Professor Potter pulled out an old Cleansweep 7 and handed it to Holly. After a little more digging, he found a Comet 260 for himself.

Holly watched her teacher mount his broom and motioned her to the do the same. "I can't, Professor," Holly protested, "this is where I mess up."

"How do you mess up mounting your broom?" Professor Potter asked, now hovering a few inches about the ground.

"I don't know how," she admitted, looking at the broom uneasily.

Professor Potter jumped off of his broom and let it hover in midair while he stood in front of Holly. "Did you follow Madam Hunt's instructions?" he inquired.

"Hold your hand above your broom, say 'up,' " Holly recited in exasperation. To her surprise, when she said 'up,' her broom launched into her hands. She grabbed a hold of the handle as it picked her up in the air. She was now 20 feet in the air…30 feet…60 feet.

"HELP! HELP!" she screamed hysterically, grabbing the broom with her other hand.

Professor Potter jumped on his broom and raced after her. "Speed, I need speed!" he told himself. If only he had his Firebolt! All he needed to do was grab Holly before she flew any higher and take her safely to the ground. "It's going to be ok, Holly!" he called to the girl, but it was lost in her frantic screams.

Professor Potter was almost to her- eight feet, six feet, four feet…when something he saw something in the corner of his eye. Before he realized what it was, Professor Potter was hit on his left shoulder with a bludger and knocked off course. The pain coursed through his body and he gritted his teeth as he fought it. His broom shifted and pointed downward and began to head towards the ground. It took a minute before Professor Potter could regain control of himself and turn his broom around, but by that time, it was too late. A black bullet in the sky hit by one of the beaters flew through the air and hit Holly squarely in the chest. Her arms collapsed and she instinctively let go of the broom. The stadium echoed in a loud 'crunch' when the bludger broke her ribs, which was followed by a louder shriek that followed Holly as she flew across the stadium.

Professor Potter launched himself in her direction, hoping to at least catch her before she hit the ground. He was skilled on the broom, but that had been about fifteen years ago when he played Quidditch and was still in shape. The feeling of being on a broom again was strange and that made him panic more.

Leaning more on his broom, Professor Potter tried to gain more momentum. He was now feet away from Holly and the two were about to go through one of the goals at the end of the pitch. Holly saw the white poll coming at her and grabbed the white ring with her outstretched hand. She flipped over the bar while Professor Potter ducked and passed right under her. However, Holly's grip wasn't strong enough to hang on much longer and her body dropped straight towards to the ground. Professor Potter turned around and watched her body fall limp to the ground. There was no expression on her face as was falling through the air. She was no longer screaming and to Professor Potter, she had given up.

Professor Potter pulled out his wand and muttered a spell that would slow her fall. Although it wouldn't guarantee her life, it would add precious seconds that could mean the difference between life and death. Regaining his control, the teacher went into a dive, all of his Quidditch skills coming back to him. He was going to make it- he knew he could.

Getting closer, Professor Potter held out his arm to catch her Holly. He was now twenty feet above the ground and picking up speed. Just as he was bracing himself for the weight to fall into his arms, it never came. Pulling his broom back up, the teacher looked around confused. He had calculated wrong. He had missed her by inches. Holly was going to crash into the ground.

A flash of red darted passed his ear at a fast pace. Professor Potter gripped his broom tighter as the air pressure nearly knocked him off balance. He looked around and found his Quidditch players crowding in. What were they doing? Couldn't they see that there was a problem here?

"Hey, out of the way!" Professor Potter yelled as two chasers both ran into him. "This isn't a time to do drills!" However, the students were ignoring him.

A loud 'thud' reverberated through his ears and filled his heart with dread. He was almost too afraid to see if indeed the fall was fatal. He could live a hundred years without seeing another lifeless corpse.

It took more than Gryffindor courage for the professor to direct his broom towards the ground. He was the last to touch his feet on the earth and shoved his way through the mass of bodies that were gathered in a tight circle.

"Let me through," he said, pushing the students aside, bracing himself for the worst. Yet, that still didn't prepare him for the scene in front of him. Professor Potter took a step back, too shocked to get any nearer. "Thank Merlin," he muttered.

Holly was lying on the ground, unconscious, but far from dead. There were cuts and bruises, but nothing that couldn't be cured. The real miracle, though, was lying underneath her, his face to the ground. Ryan Mason, the Seeker for the team, had managed to break Holly's fall and save her life, although he didn't look in great shape, either.

Professor Potter picked up Holly and conjured an invisible stretcher for her. As the teacher was picking up the boy, Madam Hunt came marching onto the field and demanded to know what the commotion was about. It took a few minutes to explain and he felt a pang of guilt in the pit of his stomach knowing that this was his fault.

"You WHAT? HARRY!" Madam Hunt cried. "You are not a flying instructor! You are not licensed to supervise children on brooms! Oh, when the Ministry finds this out, it will be your head!"

The teacher shook his head before he began his trip with the two unconscious students and outraged flying instructor to the hospital wing. There, the story was repeated, more words were exchanged, and Professor Potter finally excused himself to have a private word with Professor McGonagall. He came back a little while later with the Headmistress in tow and Madam Hunt was finally silenced.

"Thank you, Jane," Professor McGonagall said curtly when the woman tried to tell the story again for the sixth time. "That is certainly enough. I am sure Harry did not intend this kind of trouble. You may go back down to your quarters; I will take over from here."

Madam Hunt's look changed from fury to sour before she consented to leave the room. Professor McGonagall turned to Madam Hertz and was informed of the two students' conditions.

"Well, both look like they are expected to make a full recovery. They are out right now and I don't expect them to wake up for another day or two. I gave them several potions that should ease the pain. I will let you know, Headmistress, before I release them," she said.

Professor McGonagall nodded and turned to leave the room, motioning her Deputy to follow. The door quietly shut behind them and when Madam Hertz finally retreated to her office, the room was full of peace and quiet. It remained this way throughout the rest of the afternoon, sometimes disturbed by the nurse's activity, but to the two lying unconscious in the room, this could hardly matter. It was another eighteen hours before Holly graced the world once again.

- - - - -

Nothing is worse than the putrid smell of rotten broccoli. It's one of those vegetables that you don't want to leave decomposing in the refrigerator because one morning you will open up the doors and before you have time to close it again the entire room will reek of rotten broccoli. So, what you want to do is throw away the broccoli so that the refrigerator doesn't smell like decaying vegetable cells. Yet, there are still people who don't understand this concept and even in the wizarding world, people do not throw out their broccoli. Hermione Weasley, no matter how brilliant she may seem, was trying to understand this problem in her kitchen.

With her hair pinned up with a clip and gloves covering both hands (her wand in one and a sponge in the other), she was ready to tackle her problem. Her seven-year-old daughter, Meredith, watched on from the table with a mixture of curiosity and scrutiny on her face.

"Why aren't you going to use magic to clean the 'fridge?" Meredith asked.

"I tried," Hermione grumbled. "It didn't work."

"But you never clean things with your hands! That's only for punishment!" the little girl exclaimed.

Hermione felt a headache growing and dropped the sponge. She spun around and returned to the book that was lying open on the counter. She flipped through the pages of her copy of _Keep Your House Magically Clean! _until she finally rested on 'odor problems.'

"It doesn't say anything in here," Hermione finally concluded, after reading the section carefully five times. "We're going to have to buy another book. This one is useless."

"What do you mean that book is useless?" Ron asked as he walked into the room and catching her last sentence. He took two steps towards the fridge and jumped back. "Merlin, what is that smell!"

Hermione shut the book and grabbed her purse off. "I'm going to Diagon Alley," she announced.

"Why?"

"To get another book so I can get rid of that smell," she grumbled, stuffing her wand in the pocket of her navy blue robes. "That is, unless you feel adventurous enough to figure it out yourself."

"You haven't figured out what that smell is yet?" Ron asked in surprise.

Hermione pursed her lips and glared at her husband before she grabbed some floo powder and threw it into the fireplace. "Come on, Meredith," she called to her daughter. "Daddy has work to do in the kitchen."

The little girl squealed in delight as she grabbed a hold of her mother's hand and the two jumped into the fireplace. The fire belched, roared, sparked, and then finally settled down to the crackle that it was at before. Ron opened up the book that was left on the counter and skimmed through it while buttering some bread. He hadn't even taken a bite of his bread before he decided that the situation was hopeless and went back into the living room to finish some other paper work.

On the other side of the floo network, Hermione and Meredith fell out of the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron. The two made their way through the crowded pub and exited through the back door where the sunlight was blinding. Diagon Alley was even busier than the pub that guarded the entrance. Hermione had to squeeze her way through the streets, holding tightly to her daughter's hand, until she finally reached the doorway to the Flourish and Blott's.

The little bell on the door jingled as the two entered and Hermione was a little taken back when she found the shop to be almost deserted. "What is going on here?" she asked the clerk at the front desk. "Where is everyone?"

The clerk shrugged his shoulders before he lifted a stack of books and set them on a table. "No idea, Miss," the young man answered, "but it's been like this all day. I reckon it has something to do with Quidditch. England won last night, you know."

"So, I heard," Hermione mumbled, having been told of England's victory more than seventeen times the previous night. _This is what I get for marrying into the Weasley family,_ she thought to herself as she pulled Meredith past the clerk's desk and to a section at the very back labeled 'Household Cleaning.'

After deciding on _Household Contaminants and How to Zap them Away, _Hermione took her time walking back to the check stand and her eyes lingered on all the different types of books. Meredith, too, was looking on with interest, but after a while, the impatience of a seven-year-old began to set in again and she dragged her mother back up from to pay for the book. The two entered the chaos outside again, but instead of turning about towards the Leaky Cauldron, Hermione turned the other direction and made her way towards Weasley Wizard Wheezes. The crowd swamping Diagon Alley was ridiculous and not even England winning the Quidditch Cup could cause such a crowd. She wanted answers and her two brothers-in-law were the best place to go to get them.

- - - - -

**Update: Currently writing update to 'Life in the Green Eyes of a Crazy Potter.' **

**Btw, if anyone is interested in helping me, I would dearly love to have a beta reader :) Just send me a message and let me know!**


	13. Chapter 10

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Chapter 10**_

A/N- Yes, it's been quite a while, but worth it, I assure you! Thank you, Epona, for reading this and going through it with me. I know that I haven't been doing very well with updates, but I have the next chapter all lined up after this and written down in my notebook. Never fear- I will never give up! Thank you to everyone who reviewed on my last chapter and now this chapter. I really appreciate the reviews and all support!

* * *

The sky was threatening to rain when Ginny left her apartment. She pulled her cloak tighter around her as the wind beat against her back and tried to ignore the icy sting on her neck. Diagon Alley was several miles from her apartment, but Ginny didn't seem to mind the walk--it would give her some time to think. For several weeks, multiple thoughts lingered in Ginny's mind and she could swear that she was going crazy. She needed some time and space away from her muggle life to think clearly about her life and so she took the journey to the little pub unusually slow.

It was difficult for Ginny to think of her life before Alex. She knew that if she looked into the past that she would long for the life she had. She wouldn't admit that leaving the wizarding community was the biggest mistake of her life, but she realized soon after that she had decided too hastily and had been regretting it for twelve years. Many times, she had considered going back and apologizing to her family, but when Ginny would look at her blonde daughter, all she could see was misery. Holly acted so much like a common Muggle that Ginny couldn't imagine her having a drop of magical blood. Sometimes she would watch her daughter sleep and hope that a miracle would happen…but how could miracles happen to someone who deliberately chose the wrong path? It wasn't possible. For the first eleven years of her daughter's life, Holly did not show any magical characteristics and this had confirmed Ginny's fears. If only she had known sooner that the letter was going to come, maybe she would have thought differently over the last twelve years. Maybe she would have returned sooner…

Step by step, her feet carried her steadily through the pouring rain. Cars zoomed past, spraying water at Ginny as they hit puddles. She was now drenched to the bone, but there was something satisfying about it. She struggled to keep her body temperature up and pulled her cloak tighter around her, but strangely, the cloak did nothing to keep the water out. Ginny stopped in the middle of a deserted alley and looked up at the sky and the falling water.

"This is my punishment, isn't it?" she asked the sky. "This is my punishment for leaving my family for twelve years and marrying a Muggle and keeping my daughter away from the wizarding world! Did I really make the wrong decision? If this was you, would you have acted differently? I gave my life to my daughter these past twelve years! I worked and ate and breathed for her! Could you blame me? Of course you can't. You're only the sky. You rain on everyone that's foolish enough to step outside."

She sensed a bitter taste in her mouth before realizing that she had bit her tongue. Although the sting hurt, a sense of relief flooded over her and she moved on. She knew she deserved this; she deserved all of this. She hadn't been living for her daughter at all. She had been only been justifying the mistake she had made by thinking that it wouldn't benefit her daughter to return. Even if her daughter was a squib, Holly had the right to know the truth. Ginny had no right to deny her that. Now, Ginny truly understood. She understood all of her anxiety, all of her bitterness, and all of her worries. They had all been for herself and no one else. Now the world was telling her how selfish she had been. The rain poured down, the wind became stronger, and Ginny knew that she had brought this upon herself. The only way she would be able to get out of this storm was to find shelter.

Through the downpour, Ginny spotted the pub half hidden in the shadows between two other stores. The street was nearly deserted of both cars and people, but that didn't surprise her since she wouldn't be out in this dreary weather either if she didn't have to. Walking up to the entrance, Ginny yanked the door handle aggressively and stepped inside the pub.

The warm air surrounded her and melted her frozen bones as she closed the door behind her. As the pounding rain ceased in her ears, the soft mumbling of the other customers took its place. Ginny rung out her hair and cloak and let the water form a puddle at her shoes. As nervous as she was to be in there again, no one around her seemed to notice her at all. This gave Ginny more confidence as she made her way through the moderately filled pub and out to the back where the pouring rain drenched her once again.

It surprised her to feel the rain cease it's rapping on her cloak as she stepped through the entrance to Diagon Alley. She zigzagged through the crowd of Saturday shoppers until Ginny stood in front of steps leading to Gringotts bank. Her first idea was to exchange some of her muggle money to galleons, sickles, and knuts. She could just imagine the shopkeepers' responses when she handed them her British notes.

A pair of goblins greeted her at the door with smirks on their faces. Ginny moved quickly past them and found an available goblin among the line of windows. The bank was oddly empty for this time of day on the weekend and this made her nervous.

"Yes?" the goblin said, giving her an odd look.

"I need to exchange my currency," she said, pulling out a large sum of notes from a pocket in her cloak.

The goblin's expression changed as he looked at the money. "Do you have a key?" he asked.

Ginny looked at the goblin questioningly. "We need a key? I have never needed a key before."

"It's the procedure now," the goblin answered indifferently.

"Since when?"

"Since it has become our policy," the goblin said angrily. "Do you have your key or do you not?"

Ginny dug her hands into the pockets of her cloak. Her right hand grasped a small metal object and pulled it out. With a grimace, Ginny placed the key on the counter and watched as the goblin examined it. His eyes moved from the key to Ginny, back to the key, and back to Ginny. If Ginny wasn't so irritated, she might have found the goblin's expression comical. However, her face paled slightly as she realized that the goblin recognized her key.

"Yes, yes," the goblin said suddenly as if interrupting his own thoughts, "this key seems to be operational. Come this way and I will escort you to your vault."

"But I don't want to go to my vault," Ginny protested. "I just want to exchange these muggle notes for galleons!"

"Well, then, follow my instructions and we will exchanged your currency. _New procedure,_" the goblin spat.

With a frustrated sigh, Ginny followed the goblin to one of the carts that lead into the dark caves. The cart twisted, turned, spun, right, left, right, left, left, left, right, down, up, faster, faster, faster. After a few minutes, the cart jerked and halted in front of Vault #874. The goblin got out and unlocked the door with Ginny's key. The room inside was quite bare as it had been emptied twelve years before.

Ginny got out of the cart and looked inside her vault. "So, how are we going to exchange currency in here?" she asked, taking a step inside, expecting some hidden door to pop open and answer her question.

"Like this," the goblin said with a grin and shut the door behind Ginny.

The sudden darkness caused Ginny to trip over herself and crash into a wall. Her head hit the rock wall and she nearly fainted as the rest of her body slid to the ground. Her hands stretched around her, trying to feel the room, but nothing was there. Nothing was everywhere and this frightened Ginny even more. It took several minutes to organize her jumbled thoughts enough to reach into her pocket and pull out her wand.

"Lumos," she whispered. The light was powerful against the previous nothingness and Ginny was able to make out the corners of the vault. An outline of the door was to her right and she stared at it, expecting it to open at any moment. Yet, it didn't open and something inside her told Ginny that it wouldn't.

"What is going on?" she thought to herself. In the twenty-one years that she had lived in the wizarding world, she had never heard of goblins locking up witches and wizards in their own vaults! Why, this was unthinkable! If the Ministry of Magic heard about this, they would be outraged! But how were they going to hear about it? Ginny was locked up in a vault three miles below the earth's surface. No one was going to hear about it. She was going to die and Holly was going to be an orphan and live with her grandmother.

A frustrated tear fell from Ginny's lashes. "Why does this always happen to me?"

* * *

Hermione pulled her daughter through the unusually crowded streets until she was in front of the joke shop. "Mum!" Meredith cried. "The shop is closed!"

The two halted in front of a sign that Hermione didn't know existed. "Closed?" Hermione read on the sign. "Since when do the twins close their shop?" She peered into the windows of the shop and it was confirmed; the shop was dark and there was no movement from within. Hermione turned around and looked into the growing crowd around her.

"Mum, it's Uncle Harry!" Meredith squealed.

Hermione jumped at the site of her best friend. "Harry! What are you doing here?"

Harry squeezed through the crowd until he stood in front of Hermione. "The Ministry called," he replied. "I tried to come as quickly as I could, but they have already taken several hostages."

"What?" Hermione asked in confusion. "Hostages? Who has taken hostages?"

"The goblins!" he exclaimed. "Isn't that why you're here? I just saw Ron."

Hermione's attention quickly moved to the crowded street where she gazed intently as if her husband was going to appear at any second. "Ron? Ron's here?"

"Yes, the Ministry called him, too," Harry said, running a hand through his hair. "How do you of all people not know what's going on?"

Harry ducked in time to miss a bag of books aimed at his head. "I came here for a book so I can clean Ronald's house!" Hermione said. "Now tell me why my husband who was at home only a few minutes ago is now fighting against goblins!"

"The goblins are upset about a new law that was passed last week that will limit their use of magic," Harry explained, still eyeing the bag of books nervously. "Ministry Officials have been keeping their eyes and ears on the bank with the help of Mr. Fred and Mr. George Weasley. They have finally found a productive use for those extendable ears."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm glad that all of their mischief has finally proved to be helpful," she said with a hint of sarcasm. "How do _you_ happen to be here, then? You're not a part of the Ministry."

"The goblins called me, of course," Harry replied with a mischievous grin. "Alright, Ron told me. As soon as we detected that the goblins were locking people in their vaults-"

"They're WHAT?" Hermione said in astonishment.

"Quiet! This isn't supposed to get out!" Harry whispered fiercely.

"Oh, really? Then why are you discussing this with me in a crowd full of people?"

"Muffliato," he answered simply.

Hermione cast Harry an indignant look. "I can't believe you're still using that spell!" Hermione said angrily. "After all of the trouble that got us into-"

"Look, that's not the point," Harry interrupted her. "Ron thought he might need some back-up and it looks like he's right. The goblins have made an invisible barrier in front of Gringotts and the twins sent me here to grab a few supplies. I recommend you take Meredith home before she gets hurt."

"I don't want to go home! I want to watch!" Meredith, who had been unusually quiet during the conversation, piped up.

Hermione looked down at her daughter, trying to hide the worry in her eyes. "This not the time, Meredith," Hermione told her 9-year-old sternly. She turned back to Harry who was unlocking the door to the shop. "I'll be back in a minute, Harry. Tell Ron that I'll be back!"

Harry nodded as he watched his best friend disappear into the vast sea of people crowding the street. He turned back to the shop and slid through the narrow gap in the door before closing it behind him. "Lumos," he whispered and held up his light to the dark walls filled with every imaginable thing known and unknown to man. "Pee-Wee Robes, Edible Fuzzy Sneakers…Burping Mothballs?"

His eyes scanned the little fur-balls curiously. Years of experience with Fred and George's pranks told Harry to step away from the dangerous little things. Yet, how could these little fur-balls be dangerous? They almost looked like mini pygmy puffs….

Harry reached out his right hand and was about to grab one when it went off; a giant belch with so much force that Harry was temporarily deaf and didn't hear the twenty other mothballs begin to belch in rhythm to what wizards would recognize as a popular song sung by the Weird Sisters. He also didn't hear the bell ring behind him or realize that someone was in the room until a tap on his shoulder sent him flying to the ceiling.

"_Harry!"_ Fred Weasley mouthed while holding his hands to his ears. _"What did you do?"_

"_Shut up,"_ Harry replied with glare. _"Help me."_

The force of the on-going belching blasted Harry to the floor while Fred took cover behind one of the other shelves. The noise vibrated through the store like a massage chair gone wild with an atomic bomb. It took more skill than energy for Fred to pull out his wand and cease the belching before he, too, could become deaf.

"You ok?" Fred asked.

Harry looked back up with water pouring down from his eyes from the huge amount of pressure. "Can't…hear…sound…hurts," he whispered.

"Alright, mate," the Weasley twin replied and walked to the end of the shop where he and George had stored all of the more dangerous items. "I came back to warn you not to touch those. They have a…sort of attraction charm on them that makes you want to pick one up. Then, when you do, they belch like crazy; one of our more brilliant—and annoying—inventions."

Harry picked himself off of the ground and watched Fred fill a bag full of odd objects. A high-pitch ring was still echoing in his ears and he couldn't hear a word that Fred was saying. "What?" he asked when he noticed that Fred's lips were moving.

The other man shook his head and muttered, "Never mind."

Fred finished rummaging through the shelves and handed Harry a large bag filled with items that would make Mrs. Weasley shriek if she knew her boys had invented them. Harry gave Fred a quizzical look as he followed the twin out of the shop. "Is this legal?" he whispered, cringing slightly as he was still in quite a lot of pain.

"With five relatives working in the Ministry, do you think that it wouldn't be legal?" Fred challenged him.

Harry looked at Fred doubtfully. "That didn't stop you from inventing biting toilet seats," he pointed out.

"And it made us a fortune, too!" Fred replied thoughtfully, as if recalling a sweet dream. "Besides, my brother asked for some of this stuff. We can't let the law stand in the way from helping family, can we?"

Harry picked up what looked like a mini torpedo decorated with spikes. "Like this?"

"Let's go," Fred answered quickly as he snatched the torpedo out of Harry's hand and shoved the dark-haired man out the door and into the crowd.

* * *

"Where were you?" Ron asked his brother and best friend impatiently as they approached.

Fred grimaced as he handed Ron the sack of goodies. "We thought we would stop for ice cream on the way back, Ron. Harry was hungry," he said sarcastically.

"Harry!"

"Don't bother talking to him," Fred advised, motioning to Harry who was setting his sack on the ground carefully. "He's half-deaf now."

"Huh?"

"He had a run-in with the Burping Mothballs."

"Why didn't you warn him about those?" Ron snapped.

"I dunno, _Mum,_" Fred replied. "It must have slipped my mind. If I had to-"

"Forget it, Fred," said Ron, turning to a Ministry Official next to him. "Get these bags to Tucker and Winder," he instructed.

"Harry, you ok?"

Ron spun around to find his wife standing next to his best friend and examining his ears. Fred smirked while Ron just gaped in disbelief. "Hermione, what are you doing here?"

Hermione handed Harry a vial out of her handbag and looked at her husband. "The same thing you are doing here," she replied. "I came to help."

"We don't need you to help, Hermione," Ron protested. "We have all the help we need. I have stationed sixty-five Aurors around the place. You don't need to be here."

"You're right: I don't _need _to be here," Hermione agreed. "I _want_ to be here. Meredith is with your parents right now and since there seem to be no Healers here, I'm stepping in. What if someone gets hurt and needs immediate assistance? Wouldn't you agree that having a well-trained Healer on hand is a good idea?" Hermione's eyes challenged Ron's until he grudgingly backed off.

Harry shook his head, testing his sense of balance. "You always have to be right, don't you?" Harry said with a grin.

"It's not about being right," Hermione replied with a hint of pride. "It's about doing what's right. Ron won't challenge that."

Harry nodded in agreement and watched Aurors around the building making use out of the Weasley Wizard Wheezes' most dangerous pranks. He couldn't imagine how useful any of these weapons were when the goblins had an invisible barrier running across the entrance, but he never did have the same thought process as Fred and George. The crowd that had been suffocating Harry and Hermione before were now being pushed back by the Aurors so that the first fifteen feet in front of the bank were clear. Everything was being set for the raid on the bank until-

"Mr. Weasley!" an Auror shouted. "They're coming out!"

Everyone's attention immediately focused on the door that was now opened. Four goblins hobbled out of the bank and Ron signaled for the Aurors to get ready to fire.

"That is not necessary, Mr. Weasley," the goblin on the left announced. "We have come to negotiate."

Ron whispered something to the man next to him before he answered. "Negotiate?" Ron said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, negotiate," another goblin spat. "We do not agree with your laws!"

"That's not why laws are made," Ron answered. "Laws are made to protect the community- not for everyone to agree with them!"

The goblin on the right stepped forward and was now several feet away from Ron. "Some laws are made for protection. Other laws are made out of fear. The Ministry does not trust us. That is a mistake."

"What do you want?" Ron asked.

"We want the law revoked. We want our freedom back. We will give you the prisoners in exchange for the law's annulment," the goblin stated.

"Give us the prisoners first and then we will talk about."

"Foolish wizard!" the goblin stated. "Even you do not trust us! If the wizards believe us to be dangerous creatures, then we will show you how dangerous we can be! Bring out the girl." Through the doors, two goblins dragged the blonde Ginny who was struggling under invisible binds to break free. The crowd gasped in shock as she was being displayed before them. "Do you still not trust us?"

Before Ron could reply, the prisoner was raised into the air ten…twenty…thirty feet into the air. Her invisible binds were released and she began to flail uncontrollably. "WHY YOU EVIL PIECES OF SCUM! WAIT UNTIL I COME DOWN THERE AND WRING YOUR NECKS UNTIL YOU WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN!" Ginny continued to throw curses and insults at the goblins; some she knew her mother would faint if she ever heard her daughter say such things.

One of the goblins smirked in amusement and with a nod, Ginny was doing flips. Another goblin, joining in the game, turned Ginny's legs into jell-o so that her legs seemed to flop with every flip. Itchy warts. Hair on fire. Ticklish toes. Stinging hiccups. The spells seemed to mesh into one horrible nightmare. Never had Ginny been so humiliated in public, but after several minutes of this torture, she finally gave up fighting. Her body became limp in the air and she ceased to shout curses at her torturers. It was no use; she was helpless.

"Let her go!" Ron cried instinctively, feeling a sense of panic.

One of the goblins grinned maliciously at Ron and said, "Very well." With a snap of his fingers, the woman who was spinning and flipping through the air was released from the spells and her body dropped to the ground like a rag doll. Before any wizard or witch could reach her, Ginny collided into the top of the stairs, blood spraying the steps as her head cracked open and continuing to dribble down the steps while her body rolled down the bottom and landed in front of Ron, Hermione, Fred, and Harry.

Hermione was the first at her side, her wand out and her bag open next to her. Spells flipped through her mind like wildfire until she could find the right one to stop the bleeding. There were bruises covering her upper body while her lower body was trembling from the effect of the numerous hexes and curses.

"Is she going to be ok?" Ron asked worriedly, kneeling down next to his wife.

Hermione bit her lip and nodded. A long strand of light was carefully running between Hermione's wand and the witch's body and no one spoke until the Hermione was finished. "It's just a concussion and fracture," she replied. "Some lingering spell effects, but I think she'll be alright with a few days rest."

"I've seen her before," Harry spoke up from behind Hermione.

Hermione and Ron spun around to look at their best friend. "You have?" Hermione questioned.

"I broke her nose, remember?" Harry muttered, hoping no one else would hear.

Ron snorted into his robes. "I'd say this woman has bad luck!"

"I thought you didn't believe in that stuff, Ronald," Hermione retorted.

"I don't," Ron replied. "But she will when she wakes up."

"The guys from St. Mungo's are here, and Ron, you still have a goblin problem to deal with," Fred interrupted, eyeing the four goblins in front of the building.

"Oh, right," Ron stood up and dusted his robes off. He motioned for two Ministry workers and together, they approached the goblins. A bloody battle of negotiation ensued full of yelling and fist-waving. For several hours, the lingering spectators witnessed more curses, more shouting, more threatening, but by sunset, the two parties were able to come to an agreement. The goblins assured that they would release their remaining prisoners, not take anymore prisoners, and abide by the law if the Ministry would revoke their new law prohibiting goblin magic in the wizarding community.

By sunset, Ron was sitting in his office at the Ministry, filling out paperwork, and recalling the events that had occurred that day. The screams, the curses, the fighting—everything seemed to stab him like a knife. He had been in these situations before; he had seen women injured due to their own recklessness. His job with the Ministry was to get people out of these situations. Yet, today was different; every part of it was different. The scene had never hit so close to home…

"Ron, you're still here," a voiced startled Ron from the doorway. Harry stood in the doorway looking worn and beat from the adventure that day. After the negotiations, Harry saw to it that all of the hostages were released and taken to St. Mungo's for examination. "Hermione asked me to see what you were up to. She thought that we maybe we could meet for dinner."

Ron looked at the ceiling for a moment before he turned back to Harry. "After all that happened, we can still go out and meet for dinner," he said curiously.

"Well, yes, that was the whole point in getting rid of Voldemort- freedom to eat," Harry replied jokingly. "Are you ok?" Harry asked seriously when Ron failed to laugh at his joke.

"Yeah, I'm ok," Ron said after a moment. "It has just been an odd day and I can't seem to get that woman's screams out of my head. I feel like I'm going insane."

"You, too?" Harry replied with a raised eyebrow. "Those screams have been haunting me since I left Diagon Alley for St. Mungo's. I did check up on the woman and the Healer said that she should be fine."

"Do they know who it is?"

"Her name is Jenny Miller," Harry answered. "I have her daughter in my Defense Against the Dark Arts class—she's the one that was catapulted off of her broom in the Quidditch Pitch. Professor McGonagall granted me permission to take the student to see her mother when the two are in better shape."

Ron chuckled, relieved to know that the woman was going to be ok. "Like mother, like daughter," he chanted.

"I'd say!" said Harry. "Come on, Hermione is waiting for us and I'm starving."

"I'm coming," said Ron, tossing some papers in a folder and sending it out the door. The two exited the Ministry and five minutes later met Hermione in front of St. Mungo's. It only took a good meal and laughter between old friends for Ron's worries to escape him and by the end of the night, Ron felt like his old self.

Yet, Ron did not completely forget about the goblins and the woman. He would meet them again in his sleep that night but this time, the woman would take the more familiar form of a red-headed girl with large chocolate eyes…

* * *

Unaware of her mother's condition, let alone anything else in the world, Holly woke up to the sound of laughter after being unconscious for three days. Her head felt like an axe had split it in half and her muscles ached horribly when she tried to move. For several moments, she could only stare at the ceiling in wonder of where she was and why she felt like she had been run over by a bulldozer.

"Holly! You're awake!" an excited cry echoed painfully in Holly's head. Cynthia's smile came into view above her along with the Weasley twins, Daniel and Michael. "How do you feel?"

Holly closed her eyes tightly as the pain increased and then subsided. "Horrible," she whispered, opening her eyes to look at her friend. "What happened to me?"

"You flew across the Quidditch Pitch fifty feet in the air before crashing," Michael informed her with a grin. "It was brilliant, really."

The memory of the flying off of the broom suddenly flooded back to Holly conscious mind and she groaned. "No, it wasn't brilliant. It was stupid. I am never going to fly a broom again!" she said determinedly.

"Out of the way! Out of the way! This is my patient, children!" The three Gryffindors moved back to let Madam Hertz approach the bed. "Finally! A few more hours and I was going to have to send you to St. Mungo's. Never mind that, though. The good thing is that you're awake." The nurse took several moments to check her over and ask her if she was experiencing anymore pain. The group next to the bed watched as the nurse gave her several potions to gulp down before leaving the room again.

"A worry-bird," Daniel mumbled as the door shut to Madam Hertz's office. "She has been like that all day."

"All day?" Holly repeated. "You guys have been here all day?"

"Of course!" Michael answered. "That's what friends do, right?"

Holly looked doubtfully at the twins. "Friends? Since when have we been friends?"

The twins exchanged a nervous look before Daniel responded. "Look, we're really sorry about that. We were being-"

"-idiots-" Michael inserted.

"-and we didn't mean to be so rude."

"We want to be friends again. That is—if you'll take us back as friends."

Cynthia read the anger and distrust written clearly on Holly face and came to their defense. "Emma is the one who has been telling everyone to avoid you. She told Michael and Daniel that you had called her some names and insulted her family. All lies, of course. Don't blame them, though. They understand now."

"Yeah," Michael agreed, "and we're going to give her a taste of her own medicine."

"See how she feels to have rumors spread about her," Daniel chimed in.

"Forgive us?" Michael added.

Holly looked slightly relieved and simply nodded. "Alright, I forgive you," she muttered.

The doors to the hospital wing opened and Professor Potter walked in. "It's good to see you awake, Holly," he said, approaching her bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got run over by a bulldozer," she replied automatically. "But besides that, I'm fine."

"I'm sorry about that," Professor Potter apologized. "I will leave flying instruction to Madam Hunt from now on. On another note, I need to talk to you about something—your mother. She is in St. Mungo's Hospital. There was an incident in Diagon Alley yesterday and your mother took quite a fall. In a few days when you're ready to leave the hospital wing, I will take you to see your mother."

Holly jumped up in alarm. "No, I can leave now," she said, getting out of bed and searching for her robes.

"We can't go now, Holly," Professor Potter stopped her. "You need rest and your mother is unconscious."

"But she needs me!" Holly pleaded. "I'm the only family she has left!"

"And I assure you that you will be there when she wakes up," the teacher answered. "That might be a few days. Until then, you need to rest." Professor Potter gently led Holly back into her bed, hoping not to disturb the nurse.

"What's going on?" Madam Hertz asked, peeking from behind her door. "Who's shouting?"

"No one is shouting," Professor Potter answered good-naturedly. "Everything is under control. I will see you in a few days, Holly." The teacher nodded to Holly and then to the three other students before leaving the wing.

At his exit, the nurse came out of her office mumbling, "Good, he's gone. Does more harm than anything. The Headmistress will be hearing about this." The nurse looked at the three students who were still surrounding Holly's bed and now looking at her curiously. "Alright, it's time for you three to leave! The hospital wing is closed!"

"Closed?" Daniel said.

"But it's only two-thirty!" Cynthia whined.

"Yes, and it's closed!" the nurse answered crossly. "Now scat!"

The room became quiet as the three left the room. Holly was slightly thankful for this silence because the noise was causing her head to ache and despite being unconscious for two days, she was still feeling quite exhausted. It wasn't long before Holly drifted back into dreamland where she never had to ride a broom ever again…


	14. Chapter 11

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Chapter 11**_

A/N- I'm on a roll! I just want to let you all know that I am hoping to update this story more quickly, but at the expense of "Life in the Green Eyes of a Crazy Potter" which I won't be able to continue until this summer when I have more time. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

"We're going to see my mother today, aren't we, Professor?" Holly asked Professor Potter when he entered the Hospital Wing Tuesday morning. Professor McGonagall had come in the night before to inform Holly that her mother was improving wonderfully and was expected to wake up the next day.

When Professor Potter walked to the Hospital Wing on Tuesday morning, he was surprised to find Holly dressed and ready to go on the edge of her bed. "Yes, we are," he answered her question. "Are you feeling up to it?"

Holly jumped up and grabbed her cloak. "Quite," she stated. "I've been waiting to leave this place since I got here."

"Hold on, Miller," Professor Potter stopped her. "Let me talk to Madam Hertz first."

Holly's face fell at the thought. "Do you have to?" she whined pathetically. "She's going to come out and check my temperature and everything—I want to see my mum before midnight!"

Professor Potter chuckled, but ignored his student's pleading. Madam Hertz was summoned and just as Holly predicted it took another hour before the school nurse concluded that the red-head was capable of exiting the school without dying.

"That was completely unnecessary," Holly declared irritably after the door to the hospital wing closed behind them.

"That was completely necessary," Professor Potter retorted with a hint of amusement. "I will not be cited by the Ministry simply because a student doesn't want to get checked out of the Hospital Wing."

"I got checked out?" Holly exclaimed excitedly. "You mean I don't have to go back?"

Professor Potter nodded and turned down another corridor causing Holly to run to keep up with him. The pair stopped in front of the professor's office and the teacher turned to look at Holly. "We're going by floo," he said. "Have you ever used the floo network?"

Holly shook her head, looking curiously at the door as if it was about to come to life. Professor Potter tapped on the door and a loud 'click' told the two that the office had unlocked. The teacher opened the door and made room for Holly to enter. Inside, the office looked very much like it always did and somehow, this disappointed Holly.

"Where's the floo network?" Holly asked, looking around the desk and the chairs.

"Do know what the floo network is?" Professor Potter questioned, pulling out a bag from his desk. Again Holly shook her head, but now her eyes locked onto the bag in her teacher's hand. "The floo network is a network between fireplaces. We use connections between fireplaces as a means of communication and transportation."

The clueless look on his student's face told Professor Potter that his explanation was not sufficient enough for her to grasp. Instead of trying to explain further, he opened the bag and handed Holly a small handful of floo powder. "Take my hand," the teacher ordered, holding out his hand. Holly obeyed without question and waited patiently for the next step. "St. Mungo's!" Professor Potter called, and gripped Holly's hand tighter as she gasped in surprise at the glowing green flames. "Jump!"

Professor Potter nearly pulled Holly into the fireplace, but once both of them had made it in safely, the tumbling process through the network began. Fireplaces flew by with flashes of light and Holly even saw other people fly past them going in every direction. The experience fascinated the girl so much, it took her several minutes to realize that their adventure was over and she was standing in the reception area of the hospital.

"Come on, Miller, we need to get out of the way before someone else collides with us," Professor Potter urged her, tugging on her arm.

"Where are we?" Holly asked in a daze.

"The hospital—Holly, we're here to see your mum, remember?"

"Oh yeah," the girl responded, suddenly remembering their mission.

"Harry," the receptionist recognized. "Bringing in another student?"

"Katie, this is Holly Miller," Professor Potter introduced his student. "She's here to see her mother, Jenny Miller."

Katie smiled and pulled out two yellow slips of paper. "McGonagall said that you would be coming," the receptionist commented. "Here are your passes. Mrs. Miller is on the fourth floor, Ward #50."

"Has she woken up yet?" Holly questioned eagerly.

"I don't believe so," Katie answered and laughed as Holly squealed. "Bye, Harry!"

"Oh, I get to be there when she wakes up!" Holly said enthusiastically, practically skipping down the hallway. Up three floors and down two corridors, the red-headed girl finally reached Ward #50. Stepping inside the dark room, she noticed several beds divided by blue curtains. "Which one is Jenny Miller?" Holly whispered to a nurse standing guard.

The nurse pointed to the curtain on the far right and Holly moved toward the curtain. However, half way there, she paused and looked back at the door to realize that Professor Potter was no longer there. Holly walked backed to the door and peeked outside. Her teacher had sat himself on a bench in the hallway outside and was now attempting to take a nap while staring at the ceiling. "Professor?"

Professor Potter jumped at the sound and looked at Holly. "What are you doing, Miller? Don't you want to be with your mother?" he asked her.

"Aren't you coming in with me?" Holly asked nervously.

The teacher chuckled. "I'd hardly think your mother wants to see your school professor when she wakes up," he commented. "I think it's better if you go in alone."

"Please, Professor, I'm nervous," Holly begged. "I don't like hospitals."

"And you want to be a doctor, Miller?" he asked, raising himself from the chair.

"Yes, but I want to open my own practice like my father," the girl explained. "Hospitals give me the creeps."

"You seem fine to me," the professor stated, following Holly into the room.

"That's what you think now!" Holly whispered as she reached her mother's bed. She peeked cautiously behind the curtain and saw her mother's body lying on the bed motionless. Her mother's blonde hair was strewn around her head and her face was pale in the dim lighting. In fact, her mother looked like she was dead and this image of her mother scared her out of her skin. Spinning around in panic, Holly ran into her professor as she tried to rush from the room.

"Holly, are you ok?" Professor Potter asked her urgently, seeing the terrified look on her face.

"I need to go; I need to get out of here," Holly said, fighting her teacher's grip on her arm.

"What's wrong?"

"She's dead, I know she is," Holly began to sob. "She's dead like my father and she's not coming back and I'm alone and—"

"What's going on?" the nurse of the ward questioned angrily. "Child, you are going to wake up all of the patients."

"My mother—she's dead!" Holly exclaimed, pulling herself out of her teacher's grip. She darted out of the room before the teacher could catch her again and he heard her footsteps clamouring down the hall.

The nurse turned to Professor Potter with the same questioning look. "She thinks her mother is dead, but I'm sure she was just frightened," he explained.

Peeking around the curtain, the nurse and Professor Potter looked at the woman lying on the bed. The nurse walked over to her and checked her pulse and breathing. "She's quite alive," the nurse assured him. "I don't know what came over her."

"Neither do I," the teacher answered.

A soft stir in the bed and a murmur from behind the curtain caught both individual's attention and they both looked behind the curtain. With a small flutter, Ginny's eyes brushed open, taking in her surroundings. Her looked at the ceiling, then at the curtains, at the nurse, and then turned to Professor Potter—"HOLY MERLIN!" the woman shrieked. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

"Mrs. Miller! You need to calm down!" the nurse cried, pulling the curtain to hide Professor Potter form the patient's view. The woman still continued to shout in panic, but after several moments, the nurse was able to get her to settle down back in her bed.

"You're going to be ok, Mrs. Miller. I am just going to go get your daughter," the nurse told her, coming from behind the curtains. "Like daughter, like mother," the nurse muttered. "You had better go get the daughter or this woman is going to go to have another panic attack."

The teacher hurried from the room in search for the younger Miller. He checked the reception area, the first three floors and then the fifth floor where the tearoom and hospital shop were located. Behind a pile of shirts blasting the words, "Out of my mind--Back in five minutes," on them, Harry spotted Holly curled up in the corner of the hospital shop.

"Hey, don't you want to come out and see your mum?" Professor Potter asked gently.

Holly's eyes grew wide in trepidation. "No, you can't take me to the orphans' home," she cried in panic. "I won't go. You can't make me."

Professor Potter kneeled down in front of the girl. "Your mum is fine," he said gently. "Don't you want to come and see her?"

"I saw her! She wasn't fine!" Holly protested.

"I promise she is," the teacher refuted. "Would I lie to you?"

Holly was silent for a moment staring at her feet before nodding. "You lied to me about the broom. You said it was safe and I still got hurt," she muttered with eyes still focused on the ground.

Professor Potter put a hand on the girl's shoulder and patted her shoulder. "Holly, you just have to trust me."

She lifted her brown eyes to look at the teacher. "Okay," she murmured. Professor Potter held out his hand and pulled Holly out of her hiding spot. The redhead dusted herself off and followed her teacher silently out of the shop. Neither muttered a word until they reached Ward #50 where a surprise was waiting for both of them.

* * *

Coming out of her dark stupor, it took a moment before Ginny realized that people were mumbling around her. Her ears picked up the sounds and distinguished the voices gradually while her eyes lagged behind and continued to sleep lazily. The voices were worrisome and in the background, she could hear footsteps pattering on the ground. Ouch! Loud sounds weren't good for her head. 

The mumbling continued and Ginny's mind became curious to know who was talking around her. With a little effort, her eyes fluttered for a moment until they finally opened wide. She looked around the room, first to the left and then gradually to the right. The blurry blobs of matter made a lovely image of black and white until her eyes focused in on what she was seeing. A nurse was standing a few feet from the bed, looking anxiously at her while a second person who looked oddly familiar stood next to her. Why did he look so familiar? Wait! She knew that face. It was---

—"HOLY MERLIN!" the woman shrieked, sitting up in and grabbing her sheets for support. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

The nurse was at her side instantly, trying to calm her down. "Mrs. Miller! You need to calm down!" The curtains were pulled and Harry's face disappeared behind it.

Ginny's heart raced. "What am I doing here?" she continued to shout. "Where am I? What happened? What is he doing here?"

"You're going to be ok, Mrs. Miller. I am just going to go get your daughter," the nurse asserted.

"My daughter? Where is my daughter? Is Holly here? Is she ok?" Ginny went on. The nurse disappeared behind the curtain and that annoying mumbling began again, but the sound seemed to calm Ginny down. Her head ached horribly and her mind was a disorganized jigsaw puzzle whose pieces would not match up at all. In fact, she didn't even know why she had been yelling a second ago. Oh, this was horrible!

"The professor is going to bring your daughter, Mrs. Miller," the nurse assured her. "You need to lie back down and not move your head so much."

Ginny followed the nurse's instructions and fell back into her pillows. Her energy was now drained from her and going back to sleep seemed very welcoming. Before she could allow her eyes to close and her brain to fall into a deep slumber, her daughter was at her side, poking her shoulder.

"Mum?" Holly said hesitantly.

The words created a new sense of awareness and the mother turned her head to look at her daughter. "Holly," she smiled, but the smile turned into shock. "Your hair!"

"Oh, this?" she said, indicating her long locks of red hair. "Well, you always wanted a red-headed daughter, didn't you?"

Ginny tried to laugh, but her chest ached and only managed to chuckle softly. "It looks…nice. I'm so…glad to see you…" The words came out of her mouth slowly as it was now hard to speak without her head hurting. This would be something she needed to keep in mind—not to scream after any head trauma.

"Professor Potter brought me here, Mum," Holly declared more confidently. "And when you go home, I get to go with you!"

"That's…good," Ginny murmured.

Holly looked at her mum with wide-eyes. She looked at the bruises on her head and arms, the worn look on her face, and the confusion in her eyes. "Are you ok?" she asked.

"I don't…know."

"You look awful," Holly continued. "Does your head hurt?"

Ginny nodded and closed her eyes.

"If you want to sleep, you can sleep. I'll just sit right here until you wake up again," Holly decided.

"No…keep talking," Ginny said. "Tell me…how you…like school."

The eleven-year-old chattered for a good hour until she realized that her mother had indeed fallen asleep and was no longer listening to her. When this happened, Professor Potter came around the curtain and motioned for Holly and come outside.

"You need lunch," Professor Potter declared once they were outside of the ward. "It's nearly two and you never ate breakfast."

Holly shrugged her shoulders as she followed her teacher through the hospital. "I guess I haven't been very hungry," she confessed. "She looks awful."

"She will get better," he predicted. "They all do. You'll see when you come back on Friday."

The girl nodded, her heart clinging onto any hint of hope in the words that her teacher spoke. All of the misery she had felt previously for her mother evaporate when she had seen how weak and broken her mother really was. It was enough to make her cry a thousand tears. Ginny Miller had always been strong, but Holly was beginning to realize that strength has a limit and her mother was reaching the end.

Back down the stairs, Professor Potter and Holly took the floo back to Hogwarts where she was allowed to eat with her friends once again. That gloomy morning was forgotten as she sat in the common room and nibbled on some bread and cheese, laughing at the twins' horrible impressions of Professor Laumie. There really was hope. There always is.

"Mother, are you ready to go?" Holly inquired as she looked around the ward. It was Friday, the day her mother was finally allowed to leave her bedpans and curtains and return to her refuge. Ginny Miller was sitting on her bed dressed in dark blue robes and smiled as her daughter entered the room. "Professor Potter is here to take us home."

"Professor Potter?" Ginny repeated.

"The Deputy Headmaster," Holly said as Harry entered the room. "He's my Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. I thought you knew him."

"Oh, I do," Ginny confirmed, sending Harry a hesitant smile. "Who doesn't?"

"Are you ready, Mrs. Miller?" Harry asked.

Ginny looked around the room, trying to appear as if she was making a last check of all her belongings, but really trying to avoid looking at him. "Yes, I think so," she answered at last. "Are we apparating?"

"Taking the floo," the teacher corrected, reading the odd expression on Ginny's face. "I just need to make sure that both of you make it home just fine."

"Right," she said, sliding off of the bed. "Let's go then."

Holly walked next to her mother, holding her mother's arm while Harry took the lead in front and carried Ginny's belongings in her bag. Ginny had been checked out earlier that morning and was only waiting for daughter before she took the trip home. Now she was taking her daughter's teacher and her ex-boyfriend with her! Oh, this was going to be a disaster. She knew the apartment was still in disarray from before she left for Diagon Alley and the thousands of pictures of a red-headed Ginny and a blonde-haired Holly would surely give her identity away. No, she wasn't ready for that. Not today. Not like this.

"Could I go through first?" Ginny requested when the three were ready to take the floo. "I know the apartment is a mess and I would like to clean up a little before you enter."

"Of course," Harry answered good-naturedly, throwing the powder into the fireplace.

Ginny said the address and limped into the fireplace. She twirled, tumbled, and spun around until she finally fell into her living room. However, didn't waste a moment in trying to fix things. Spells flew at every picture frame, turning every red-headed Ginny into a blonde woman looking very identical to her daughter. Zap! Zap! Zap!

"Mum, what are you- oh wow," said Holly in surprise. She took one of the picture frames off of the desk and studied it. "You're changing them?"

"Don't ask questions! Just help!"

"I don't know how-"

"Hello?" Harry called out from the fireplace. Ginny and Holly froze, watching Harry pick himself up and dust off his robes. "Er…this is a nice place."

"Thanks," Ginny said, charming the last picture as Harry looked away. "Oh, you can just set those bags in the kitchen. I will take care of it later," she instructed him. "Would you like some tea?"

"Please," Harry answered, setting the bags down on the floor. "It is alright if I used the loo?"

"Yes, it's the door at the very end of the hall," Ginny answered, walking to the kitchen and filling a pot with water from the spout. She let out a deep breath as she set the pot on the stove, relieved from her narrow escape. She wished more urgently than ever that Harry would leave, but she knew that she could not be obvious about it. A pot of tea would be an excellent excuse for Harry to leave as tea made her drowsy and Harry could not deny her sleep.

Waiting for the pot to boil, she took a seat at the table and allowed her head rest in her arms. Harry Potter in her apartment! This was not a part of her plan. In fact, Harry was not a part of any of her plans. This was not supposed to happen! Distant memories welled up in Ginny's mind, memories that she wanted to forget a long time ago. They were memories of her young adulthood that were marked by the pain and misery this man had caused. Each memory was flooded with tears, embarrassment, hurt feelings, and the hopelessness that characterized each day until she met Alex. Holly's father had been the hope and light of her life; everything that Harry failed to be. Why did Harry need to hurt her so?

"Can you tell me where you got this?" Harry questioned interrupting Ginny's thoughts. Ginny glanced at the object in his hand and nearly gasped. In his hand was a picture of a red-headed Ginny smiling brightly at the camera while a dark-haired man was holding waste in a loving manner. The small picture was from her honeymoon that she kept on the hallway table and looked at quite often.

She struggled to keep her alarm unnoticeable, but Harry's expression showed that he sensed her discomfort. "They were my friends," Ginny answered quietly. "They…er…died twelve years ago in a car crash."

The words struck Harry like a pile of bricks falling out of the sky. "Died?" he repeated incredulously.

Ginny nodded. "I knew Ginny Weasley very well," she explained half-truthfully. "We were good friends in our sixth and seventh years and I was there for her when her brother left to fight Voldemort with you and Hermione. Ginny and I kept in touch after school and I attended her wedding. They died the Christmas after they were married."

"What happened?" Harry asked, turning back to the picture and examining it closely.

"Drunk driver," she said hesitantly. "Ginny was in labour and they were on their way to the hospital. The other car was speeding down a side street and failed to stop at the light. They were taken to the hospital, but both Alex and Ginny died that night." Ginny looked up at Harry who was still staring at the picture. His eyes seemed lost in another time and place.

"Can I borrow this?" Harry asked abruptly. "I want to show her family. No one knew that she died."

Ginny tried to muster up the most surprised expression she could. "They didn't know?" she questioned.

"No," he answered bitterly. "We have always wondered what happened to her. It's about time they knew."

Ginny nodded in agreement. "Then take it," she said sympathetically, "and please send my condolences to her family."

"I will," Harry responded. He straightened up his robes and tucked the picture into his pocket. "I will be here on Sunday at eleven to take Holly back to Hogwarts. I will be sure to return your picture before she leaves. Thank you, Mrs. Miller." Harry nodded his head at Ginny and disapparated. Standing up from the table, the hot water whistled behind her. She turned off the water and plopped down on the couch next to Holly, somewhat amused that Harry did not stay for tea.

"So, Mum," Holly spoke up curiously, "I didn't know you died in a car accident. I must be dead, too, huh?"

Ginny sat down across from Holly and looked at her gravely. "When your father died that night, the Ginny everyone once knew died with him. I wasn't entirely lying, Holly."

Holly raised an eyebrow. "She died? Or did you just bury her like you bury everything else so that you can replace it with a bunch of lies just to make you feel better?" With that, Holly walked to her room and slammed the door shut, leaving Ginny to ponder the truth in her daughter's words.

* * *

Hermione Weasley sat on the floor with what looked like a sponge and a bottle of Mr. Mikey's Magical Cleaning Solution in her hands. She had been cleaning for several hours and the stench that developed last weekend was still lingering. As she was about to pour more solution on her sponge, a sharp knock on the door caught her attention. "Ronald, get the door!" she yelled from her place on the floor.

Inside his study, Ron groaned as he spilled ink on an important document. "I'm busy right now, Hun," Ron called back, trying desperate to wipe of the ink with his sleeve.

"I don't care, get the door! I'm busy cleaning your moldy food out of the fridge!" she hollered, setting down the solution bottle too aggressively on the floor and splattering the liquid all over the fridge, the floor, and her robes.

Again, the door knocked and Ron gave a tired groan and made sure it was loud enough that his wife could hear it from the kitchen. As much as he hated pointless and boring paperwork, his wife didn't need to know that. He got up for the chair and moved to the door, pausing briefly to sneak a peak at Hermione cleaning in the kitchen. "Looks like I got the better end of the deal," he thought to himself as he left the kitchen. Opening the front door, he raised an eyebrow at who was standing there.

"Hey, mate," Harry Potter said grimly. "Could I come in?"

The familiar voice carried into the kitchen and Hermione looked towards the door. "Harry, is that you? What are you doing here?" she yelled, a little bit hoarse from all of the yelling she was doing. Ron stepped back to allow Harry entrance and followed his friend into the kitchen where his wife was still settled in the middle of the floor.

"Oh, you know, quit my job," said Harry sarcastically. "What are you doing in here, Hermione?"

"Cleaning Ron's mess," she answered, giving her husband a dark look. "There is a horrible smell in the refrigerator and I am trying to get rid of it."

Ron, not paying attention to Hermione, stopped next to Harry. "You q-quit?" he asked unbelievably.

"I was joking, Ron," Harry explained, waving a hand at him to forget about it.

Ron let out a heavy breath. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry, mate," Harry apologized and quickly changed the subject. "Look, I'm not here on business, but I have something important that I need to tell you two about."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at Harry curiously before she turned back to the refrigerator and began cleaning again. "You'll want to sit down, Hermione," Harry told her and nodded at Ron to do the same.

"Mr. Weasley?" a voice called from the living room.

Ron's face paled as he looked into the next room. "Hold on, Harry, I need to take care of something," Ron said before rushing out of the room.

Hermione glared as she watched her husband leave the room. "What could be so important? Never mind. Do you want tea, Harry?" she asked, picking up a kettle with her left hand. Harry nodded and sat down on one of the bar stools behind the counter. Hermione worked silently until she heard a bang from the next room. "Not again," she muttered. "Harry, can you take over while I find out what Ron is doing."

"Sure," Harry said and picked up the kettle, nearly burning his hand in the process. "Ouch! Why don't you two have an electric kettle?"

"Get over it, Harry!" Hermione called from the living room. "Ronald!" her voice quieted and Harry had to strain his ears to hear her talking to her husband. "You're best mate is in the kitchen and you're in here playing games? That's extremely rude!"

"Hermione," Ron whined faintly. "I'm not playing games. This is important!"

"You have five minutes before I come back in here and hex you!" Hermione threatened and appeared back into the kitchen, looking a bit irritated. She sat down on the bar stool that Harry had been vacating and stared at the opposite wall.

Harry glanced at Hermione for a second and promptly turned back to the kettle, unsure of what to say. When it began to whistle, he pulled it off of the stove and turned off the head. "Where are the tea bags?" he inquired.

"Cabinet to the right of the sink," she replied absentmindedly.

Harry picked out three tea bags and three cups out of the cabinet. "I will be in London for the weekend," he told her, pouring the boiling water into each of the cups.

"Wonderful," Hermione answered impatiently. "You didn't have to ask me to sit down to tell me that. You could have told me that while I was sitting on the floor."

"That's not all I wanted to tell you," Harry answered, handing her a cup of tea and taking a sip out of another one. "I'm waiting for Ronald to finish with his business call. Even stolen cauldron sales take less time."

Ron walked in covered from head to toe in soot, still furious with his wife. "I am not horribly rude!" he argued.

Despite her annoyance, Hermione laughed at her husband's appearance. "Yes, you are. Now sit down. Harry wants to tell us something."

"Harry knows I'm not rude, don't you Harry?" Ron asked hopefully.

"Tea, Ron?" Harry offered.

Hermione laughed again, earning an angry look from Ron. "Harry! I'm about to get back down on that floor and clean out that dirty fridge if you don't tell me what is going on right this instant!"

"Fine, fine," Harry answered, his expression becoming unusually solemn. As Ron began to mutter angrily under his breath, Harry dug into the pockets of his robes and pulled out the picture decorated with a silver frame.

"Ronald! Stop that mumbling!" Hermione told him as she took the frame from Harry. Her eyes grew big as she recognized the person in the picture. Her voice trembled as she turned back to Harry, "Where did you get this?"

Ron ceased his mumbling and looked over his wife's shoulder. His expression hardened when he, too, saw the couple in the picture, "Who is that? And why does he have his arm around her like that?"

"That, apparently, was Ginny's husband…Alan? I don't remember his name. This picture was taken 12 years ago before she died," said Harry quietly, fixing his eyes on a spot on the counter.

Hermione looked at Harry incredulously. "_Died_?" she repeated.

Ron, who had been momentarily paralyzed when Harry was explaining the man in the picture, woke up at the sound of his wife's distressed voice. "She _died?_" he echoed.

"Twelve years ago," Harry reiterated. "I got this picture from one of her friends. Did you ever hear of a 'Jenny Miller' at Hogwarts?"

"Is that the person you got this picture from?" Hermione inquired, remembering the patient at St. Mungo's. "I think 'Miller' is her husband's name—not hers. But I do recall a Jennifer a year below us. I think she was in Hufflepuff."

Ron shrugged, looking quite confused. "No clue."

"You would know better than me, Hermione," Harry told her.

"Say that again," Ron commented.

"You don't remember her, Ronald? She used to sit with that group of Hufflepuffs by the lake. We would talk to them sometimes," Hermione said thoughtfully.

Harry tore his eyes away from the counter to give his friend an odd look. "You think he remembers that far back? He can't even remember what he ate last Monday for dinner."

Ron frowned and gave his friend a good jab in the side. "Oy! I can, too! It was…something…Hermione, what did we have last week?"

Hermione stifled a laugh while Harry snorted into his cup of tea. "We had steak," she informed him.

Ron gave Harry another jab in the side that caused the latter to spray tea all over the counter. "Hey!"

"Oh, sorry, Harry," Ron said sarcastically. "'Must have slipped my mind to stop my elbow."

Harry wiped his mouth with his sleeve, sending a jab Ron's way. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Hermione roll her eyes at the two. "Do you think we should tell your mum, Ron?" Harry asked in a graver tone.

"Of course, you should tell Molly! It's her daughter! She has the right to know what happened to her!" Hermione argued.

Ron shook his head in response. "It's my sister, Hermione, and I prefer her lost in comparison to dead. How do you think Mum will take this? I am not sure she can deal with it. Ginny was her only daughter…"

"She still deserves to know!" Hermione disagreed. "Yes, Molly will be devastated, but would you rather think your daughter has been mad at you for years or finally know what happened to Ginny?"

"She already thinks Ginny is dead, Hermione," Harry reminded her. "I've got to pick up Holly on Sunday and take her back to Hogwarts. Should I just casually ask some questions?"

"Of course you should. I want to know every detail!" Hermione said eagerly.

Ron rolled his eyes mockingly. "But of course, Hermione."

"Then why don't you go with me?" Harry offered, ignoring Ron's comments.

"Well," she said hesitantly. "I really do need to finish cleaning the fridge and this could take a while." She looked at the fridge, then at Harry, back at the fridge, then again to Harry, and finally sighed. "I guess I could go. But I want to get this fridge cleaned out as much as possible first."

Harry grinned at her as she kneeled down in front of the refrigerator and resumed her scrubbing. "Hermione, you're wonderful."

"Oh what, so she's wonderful now? What about me, huh?" Ron asked, wrinkling his nose at the returning smell from the fridge and inching away from it.

"You're still my best mate," Harry said, patting Ron on the back.

"Do you want to stay for dinner, Harry?" Hermione asked, pausing from her duties.

Harry gave her a disgusted look. "Don't tell me you are planning to eat the food that makes that smell."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "The food is already cooking in the oven, I'll have you know," she returned.

"Well, in that case, I guess I could stay for a while," Harry gave in with a smile.

The three continued to chat until dinner was over and hours after the last fork was put down. Yet, the topic of Ginny was mostly forgotten and only existed in a hidden place in the back of their minds. The picture frame rested face down on the counter where no one dared to glance at it or touch it until Harry put it away in his pocket again.

When Harry finally returned home, he collapsed on his bed, the bottled up emotions from that day finally surfacing. He pulled out the picture from his pocket and studied it again this time there was watching him intently. He was quite alone in his apartment, alone with the memory of someone he had loved dearly. At first the picture angered him, bringing back memories of that night that he stormed out of her apartment and out of her life. But then, slowly, the anger turned to sadness and a single tear dropped from his eyes. He was now angry with himself; angry that things between them had turned out so horrible, that he had left her so quickly after he returned home from the war, and that he never got to say he was sorry or even say good-bye.

The tear dried quickly and the picture was tucked away again. By dawn, Harry's real emotions were masked behind an image of a teacher, though there was little for Harry to hide behind. After learning of Ginny's death, a part of Harry seemed to die as well.

* * *

Thank you MiKaYGiRl, Danielle, eaglesnest, Amarthiel, smidget, piratesswriter, tlfsjs, dauby, sidlovesnancy1979, and spyhorse for reviewing chapter 13! I really appricate the support! 


	15. Chapter 12

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Chapter 12**_

**A/N:** Here it is! I know a lot of you have been waiting for this chapter for quite some time and I have finally finished writing it. Thanks to everyone who reviewed Chapter 14! I really appreciated the comments and the support!

* * *

Nightmares plagued Ginny into the wee hours of the morning. It would begin as a normal day, with Holly coming out of her bedroom and getting ready for school in the muggle word. Ginny would serve her breakfast and when she would go out to the porch to get the newspaper, Harry Potter would be standing at her door, demanding to know who she was and calling her a 'liar.' Ginny protested, saying that she had never lied, but he did not believe her. Then Harry's face morphed into Hermione's who looked at her critically. "Why did you do it, Ginny? Your family loves you." 

"I had to! You know I had to!" Ginny cried in defense.

"Your family loves you, Ginny," Hermione repeated with a look of disappointment.

"I didn't mean to hurt my family! I didn't want to hurt anyone!"

But then the face would disappear. The room would disappear. The world around her became an abyss in which all sound, light, and feeling were sucked into never to exist again…until she woke up.

Paralyzed in her bed, the world became a mixture of dark shadows around her room. The soft humming of cars passing by her window barely registered as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. A dream, she finally thought. It was only a dream. Harry was not on the porch. Hermione never confronted her. It was quickly turning into a blur of sounds and colors. Yet, even with this knowledge, she did not dare go back to sleep lest she should meet her family again in her dreams.

Pushing her covers away, she slipped off the bed and sank her feet into her slippers. With the flick of her wand, the shadows disappeared and the painted walls reflected their beige color in the glowing light. Ginny walked into the kitchen, turning on lights around her with her wand, before sitting down at the table. She reached behind her and grabbed the drying towel, using it to clean off the beads of sweat from her forehead. Even after several moments, her body continued to tremble as if panicking over some new danger. When deep breathing failed to calm her nerves, she got up and poured water into the electric kettle and set it on the table. Perhaps a good cup of tea would do the trick, Ginny decided before heading unsteadily for the front door.

Outside, the newspaper was laying on the door waiting to be picked up. Ginny breathed a sigh of relief when Harry failed to appear to curse her into oblivion. Walking back into the kitchen, she set the newspaper on the table and read the headlines. Politics covered the entire page, with opinions of who would be the next Prime Minister and what bills should be passed in the parliament. Though Ginny was living in the Muggle world, politics failed to interest her since it did not address her identity. Without reading another word, the paper was quickly discarded

"What if the muggles knew about magic?" Ginny wondered, staring at the waste basket for a moment. "What would happen if the Prime Minister knew about the hidden society embedded in his own country? Would officials be focusing on the same problems?"

For several hours, Ginny sat at the kitchen table lost in thought. As dawn approached, her thoughts turned to her daughter, Holly, who had locked herself in her room all night. The memory of the day before cut into her heart and left a deep wound. She understood her daughter's feelings and believed them to be valid, though she wasn't sure how to go about finding a solution. Her mind just felt so muddled and all she could do was sit in the kitchen, wondering what else could possibly go wrong in her life until her daughter appeared fully dressed a quarter before seven.

"I want to go back to school," Holly declared.

Ginny tried to look surprised, though she had a feeling that this would happen. "Alright, I'll call Profess-"

"No, you don't get it," the girl interrupted angrily. "I want to go back to school. 'Muggle' school where I have friends, a real future, and a mom who's not blonde and acting like someone else. I want my old life back."

Silence filled the room while Ginny studied her daughter. The tired look on the girl's face told of impatience and fatigue, something that the mother knew she was responsible for. Yet, in the depths of those brown eyes, there was also sadness—for what, Ginny wasn't quite sure, but it pulled at her heart and made her want to hold her daughter in her arms again like she did when Holly was little.

"I thought you liked it at Hogwarts," Ginny said slowly, trying to gather her thoughts.

Holly shrugged her shoulders and stared down at her shoes. "I do, but I'm not sure I can do this anymore. Why do you hide so much?"

"I told you why I'm hiding."

"But do you have to? So what if people knew that you existed. It never bothered you before," she countered.

"That's different."

"How so?"

Ginny pursed her lips together. "Because I have six brothers who would love to kill me when they find out that I'm alive."

"That's not true. You never mentioned having brothers," Holly argued.

"It is true."

"That can't be the only reason, though. You're hiding something," Holly said with narrowed eyes.

"What do you want to know?" Ginny returned.

"What are you hiding?" the younger girl returned, sitting across from her mother.

Ginny sighed, sitting back in her chair. "Nothing and everything."

"Who are you hiding from?"

"My family."

"That can't be it," Holly responded disbelievingly.

"What if it is?"

"Then you're lying. They are your family—they would be happy to see you back! Who is it? The police? The Ministry of Magic? Who?" Holly continued.

"Harry Potter."

Holly nearly fell out of her seat, her voice failing her for the first time. Yet, the look on her mother's face was genuine enough for Holly to realize that it was true. That of all of the things to cause problems, it was her Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"_My teacher?_" Holly said incredulously once she gained back her voice.

"Perhaps," her mother said warily, trying to hide a yawn behind her hand.

"Harry Potter," Holly repeated, trying to think back on that name. "So you really knew him? You knew my teacher?"

"I don't lie all of the time, Holly," Ginny said exasperatedly. "He was my brother's best friend...and we did date for a couple of months in my fifth year, but that was it."

"But why would you be hiding because of him? I mean, if it was over-"

"It wasn't," Ginny interrupted. "I thought it was, but I was wrong."

"What happened?" Holly asked carefully, though with anticipation.

"We split when Harry left to fight Voldemort," Ginny explained simply. "He was gone for almost a year and in that time, I didn't hear from him. I waited, though."

"Really? Did he come back?"

"Of course he came back," she replied with a laugh. "He wouldn't be your professor if he didn't come back! He returned the summer before my seventh year after he defeated Voldemort."

"Then what happened? Did you start all over again?"

Ginny bit her bottom lip, looking down at her cup of tea. The look on her face seemed to convey a vast array of emotions—hurt, disappointment, pain—that was embedded deep in her heart. "No, he avoided me like the plague."

"Like the plague? But didn't you see Harry again? You were both working for the Ministry, weren't you? Surely he would have wanted to see you," Holly pointed out.

"I thought so, too, but he didn't come back. He was always off with Ron and Hermione until he announced that he was leaving again." The memory of the night Harry announced his second departure flashed in her mind. It was at the Burrow and like usual he did not look at Ginny. The announcement was made, leaving a dull feeling in the pit of Ginny's stomach. He never said a word; never even looked at her. The message he was sending to the young redhead was quite clear.

"Mum?" Holly asked, noticing her mother's face suddenly drop. "Are you ok?"

As quickly as it came, the message and memory were pushed out of the older Ginny's thoughts. "Yes, I'm fine. What were we talking about?"

"You said that Harry left you, but I can't imagine him doing that. Why would he?" Holly asked unbelievably.

Ginny stared down at the table, her eyes staring fixedly at the wood while tracing the paths it made with her finger. "I think he wanted space," she said at last. "He was young, immature, and I don't think he knew exactly what he wanted. So, before I knew it, he was gone again."

Holly pursed her lips together. "So when did you meet dad?" she asked.

"About a month before Harry left," Ginny answered. "I finished my seventh year in school, graduated, and got a job with the Ministry of Magic. I met your father at a cafe during my lunch break. It was so crowded that there was nowhere else so sit, so he asked to sit at my table."

"And you let him?" Holly said, wearing a wistful look on her face.

Ginny laughed at her daughter's expression. "Of course I did! I'm not as cruel as you think I am!"

"Did you hit it off right away or did it take time?" Holly asked again, ignoring her mother's comment.

"Fast enough," Ginny answered seriously. "We didn't start dating until after Harry left, but we eloped about nine months after we met."

"You eloped?" Holly exclaimed. "You never told me that! Why did you elope?"

The older woman sighed, resting her head on the back of her chair. "I wanted to keep our relationship secret from my family. I didn't know how they would take me marrying a muggle."

"But weren't you close to your family? Your parents would have understood, wouldn't they?"

"With my mum blubbering about how I should marry Harry?" Ginny returned doubtfully. "She was so set on me marrying Harry and I didn't want to disappoint her. What she doesn't know can't hurt her and I don't think she would have understood."

"But that's not fair!" Holly said. "He didn't want anything to do with you and she still wanted you to marry him?"

Ginny shook her head. "I never did understand my mother, but it's not entirely her fault. What I did was not the smartest thing, but it was my first instinct. Harry did come back the summer after your father and I eloped, but by then I was nearly four months pregnant with you."

"Did he come back to you?" Holly asked.

Her mother looked away and stared out of the kitchen window. "He did."

"What happened? You didn't leave dad, obviously."

"No," she said quietly. "I told him about your father and we haven't spoken since."

"Why didn't you go back to him after dad died?"

A soft expression appeared on Ginny's face. "Because I had you," she said with a smile. "You were everything to me and my entire life. After you were born, what I wanted didn't seem to matter."

"You didn't go back because of me?" Holly repeated. "But why? Didn't you miss your family? Didn't you miss your world?"

"I did it for you," Ginny said again. "If you turned out not to have magical blood, I wanted to spare you the pain of having to live in a world that you could never be a part of. It wasn't easy, but I wanted to make sure that I did right by you."

"So you gave up everything for me? You gave up everything for me, even your family." A tear fell down the eleven-year-old's cheek and dotted her pale blue shirt.

"Of course I did," Ginny answered, grabbing her daughter's hand while handing her a napkin to dry her eyes. "You're my daughter and the last thing I have from my belated husband. I love you more than anything."

"Thanks," Holly whispered while wiping her eyes. "When did you learn that I had magical blood?"

"I didn't know that you were a witch until you got your Hogwarts letter in September. That's when every young witch and wizard tends to find out," Ginny explained.

"So you sent me to Hogwarts even though you never planned on returning to the Wizarding World," Holly stated.

"I wanted to give you the same opportunities that I had and let you make your own decisions."

"But what if I want to stay in the Muggle world and be like my dad? Why can't I do that?" Holly returned, looking determined.

"Because you can't make a good decision without knowing what you're saying 'no' to," Ginny argued.

"But now I know what I'm saying no to!" Holly challenged her mother's logic. "Why can't I stay here with you? You need me!"

"You promised to stay for at least a year, Holly," Ginny said giving her daughter a sharp look.

Holly looked imploringly at her mother. "So after this year, I can leave and never go back if I want?"

"If you think that's what you want," Ginny answered shortly.

"You left, so I can leave, too," Holly retorted.

"But you have nothing to run from."

"I have nothing to stay for. Everything and everyone I have ever known is part of this world - part of the Muggle world."

"Except for you, Holly," Ginny countered. "You are no longer a Muggle."

"And you are not a Muggle, but you choose to live here!"

"I left because of you!"

"So it's my fault now? Don't you miss your world?" Holly replied.

"I will always miss it," Ginny said sadly.

"Then why won't you go back?" Holly asked in exasperation. "What are you afraid of?"

Ginny thought for a moment, before answering. "Of having to explain myself."

"Who do you have to explain yourself to?"

"To my parents, my brothers, Harry, Hermione, everyone! The list goes on!" Ginny said, throwing her hands in the air. Just the idea of having to explain the same story over again and be hassled with a million questions overwhelmed her. "Everyone will wonder why I'm not dead!"

As her mother's arms fell towards the table, Holly caught her mother's hand in her own. "If they care about you then they will understand. I want to be in the same world as you, Mum, and I want to know the rest of my family; to be able to visit them sometimes. You did what you had to do at the time for both me and you, but everything has changed now. I need you with me, now. I want us to stay together."

The earnestness of her pleading words sunk into the mother's heart. Ginny pulled her daughter across the table and took her in her arms, crushing the younger girl's body in her tight embrace. "I will try, Sweetie," Ginny whispered in Holly's ear. "I will try."

"That's all I can ask, Mum," her daughter replied softly.

* * *

The same sun that peeked through Ginny's kitchen window did not bless Harry in the same way that morning. He tossed and turned, tired yet unable to let his thoughts rest. Though he tried to reason with himself, he could not reason with his feelings or his unusual sleeping behavior. By two o'clock in the morning, Harry gave up trying to fall asleep and left the sheets on his bed in a tangled mess. He used the floo to enter his office at Hogwarts where he found his broom hanging in the cupboard behind his desk. Then, he did what he always did when he was stressed; he headed for the Quidditch Pitch. 

He sped through the air, weaving through goal posts on both ends, and then flying high into the air only to turn around and do a vertical dive straight towards the ground. The magnificent performance lasted for a good hour showing the invisible audience why he was once a Quidditch star. With a broad grin, he remembered the glorious feeling each time he caught the snitch and when Gryffindor won the House Cup three times. The stadium cheering, his teammates crushing him in excited hugs, and back in Gryffindor tower…Ginny running into his arms…the first time he had ever kissed her…

And in a split second, the disheartened feeling returned in the pit of his stomach and Harry slumped on his broom. He was so angry with her. He could yell and he could scream until his lungs burst. Why didn't she wait for him? Why did she have to leave? Why couldn't she understand that he needed time to recover? Why? Questions that were dying for answers, yet would never receive any. Perhaps that was the reason why Harry could not sleep...or maybe the real reason Harry was sitting on broom in the middle of the pitch black stadium was that his heart could no longer deny that it had been in love with Ginny Weasley, and time had finally revealed that he was twelve years too late.

"Harry, is that you?" a wavering voice called to him from the entrance to the pitch. Even without glasses, Harry could make out the familiar form of the Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, pulling on her emerald cloak for warmth.

Harry turned his broom back to the ground and stood in front of the aging witch. "Merlin, Harry," the woman said to him, "I almost thought you were one of the students! What are you doing out here at this late hour?"

"Sorry, Professor, I needed to clear my mind," Harry replied lamely.

"Well," Professor McGonagall sighed, "that was some very impressive flying. I don't know why you did not choose to play professionally."

Harry grinned. "Trying to get rid of me, eh?" he joked, resting his broom on his shoulder.

"Never considered it," McGonagall replied shortly. "Though if you are going to continue your practice sessions at these hours in the future please let me know. This will save some aggravation on both parts."

"No worries; I don't think I will," Harry answered.

"No? Then I will leave you to enjoy the rest of your morning."

As quickly as she arrived, the headmistress disappeared again with extraordinary agility for one her age and leaving Harry alone again standing in the middle of the pitch. His legs had grown numb from the icy wind that stung his face and froze his skin. The headmistress' interruption had left him suddenly exhausted and urged him to find warmth and comfort within the castle walls. However, instead of heading towards the castle, Harry returned to his home in London where his tiredness quickly disappeared and he was staring up at the ceiling once again. With a sigh, Harry concluded that this would be a long night.

"Harry, you look awful," Hermione commented Sunday morning when Harry arrived at the Weasley's once again. Harry stepped out of the fireplace and collapsed on Ron and Hermione's sofa.

"Do I?" Harry asked in a daze.

"Yeah, mate," Ron replied from the dining room, shoving a forkful of eggs into his mouth. "Almost like you didn't sleep."

"I didn't." Harry ran a hand through his hair, trying to make sense of the immediate situation let alone what happened in the last twenty four hours.

"What?" Hermione responded, sitting down next to him. "Are you sick?"

"No," he answered quickly.

"Then what's wrong?" the bushy-haired witch asked, her face full of concern.

"Maybe it's the weather," Ron suggested, recalling that they've had the seventh storm of the season earlier that week.

Harry rubbed his temples, trying to think but unfortunately his lack of neurotransmitters in his brain reflected a black wall with nothing on it but the truth. Feeling that he wasn't ready to divulge that much, he just continued to stare blankly at the refrigerator.

"So did you find out what was wrong?" Harry asked curiously.

"Wrong? With what?" Hermione said with a confused look on her face.

"The refrigerator," Harry said with his eyes still fixed on it.

Hermione wiped her forehead on the back of her sleeve. "Oh, that," she said. "No, it still has that putrid smell. I think Meredith put a curse on it. It has smelled that way since we made her eat broccoli a few weeks ago for dinner."

"Smart child," Ron commented. "Sounds like something Ginny would do."

The words caught Harry's attention and pulled him even deeper into his thoughts. "It does…" he thought to himself, but instead looked at Hermione and asked, "Are you ready to go?"

"Almost," she replied, heading for the stairs. "Let me grab my cloak." Hermione put away the last of the breakfast dishes and filled the teapot full of water for later before she headed to her room.

Minutes later she had appeared with her cloak in her arms and the two set off from the house and headed towards Mrs. Miller's flat. Harry was unusually quiet, but Hermione did not say anything. Instead, she turned her attention to the various shops they passed.

"At least it's not raining," Hermione commented when they had passed by all of the shops and were now entering into the housing districts.

Harry looked at the sky with its thundering clouds. "It might as well," he answered. "It looks like another storm tonight." Just as the words left his tongue, droplets of rain began to pelt the two and they were forced to take cover underneath someone's porch.

"What luck!" Hermione laughed, resting her body against the door. "How far do we have to go?"

Harry looked around at the street signs, suddenly aware that he had not been paying attention to where they were. "We're here," he said, looking at the number on the door.

"Really," Hermione said incredulously while Harry knocked on the door. "We get luckier by the minute."

"Hello, Professor," Mrs. Miller said as she invited the two in. "Mrs. Weasley! I wasn't expecting you. Oh, Holly is in her room getting ready, but she will be out in a few minutes."

Hermione followed Harry inside the flat and sat down at the kitchen table where Mrs. Miller offered tea. "Just in time, too," Mrs. Miller remarked, listening to the downpour outside. "This must be the tenth storm we've had-"

"Seventh," Hermione corrected.

Harry shot Hermione an annoyed look, but the latter wasn't paying him any attention. Her eyes flew around the room taking in every detail she could while sipping her tea.

"How are you doing?" Harry asked.

Mrs. Miller smiled wanly. "I'm doing well," she replied. "Just a small headache now."

Harry nodded, but did not ask anything else. An awkward silence fell over the three while Harry was deep in his thoughts and Hermione was scrutinizing the kitchen. The spell did not break until Holly bounced into the kitchen in her Hogwarts robes.

"Hello, Professor!" she said brightly, but then saw Hermione sitting across from him. "Er…hello," she said to the familiar woman.

"Holly, you remember Mrs. Weasley?" Mrs. Miller asked her daughter.

"Yes," Holly said carefully. "You were there when Professor Potter broke my mum's nose."

Hermione laughed. "Yes, that was me," she said. "What a good a memory!"

"What are you doing here?" Holly asked, sitting down at the table.

Hermione and Harry exchanged looks. "I just wanted to talk to your mother," she answered. "Do you mind giving us a moment?"

Holly stared at the three adults before turning to her mother. The look on the young girl's face revealed both curiosity and worry, but this did not go unnoticed by Hermione or Harry. "Of course," Holly said, retreating from the room. As soon as she cleared the door, she stepped behind the fake plant in the entrance hall where she could hear every word of the conversation.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Mrs. Miller asked in surprise.

"Yes," Hermione replied. "Professor Potter has told me that you knew Ginny Weasley."

Mrs. Miller set down the teapot that was still in her hand and took a seat in the vacant chair that Holly had been occupying minutes before. "I did," she answered uneasily. "She died several years ago."

Hermione paused for a moment. "Ginny was my sister-in-law as well as my best friend. Could you tell me something about her?"

Mrs. Miller waited a moment before consenting the request with a nod.

"Could you tell me how she died? What happened?"

"It was a car accident," Mrs. Miller answered. "I did not hear about it until a little later. It happened at Christmas."

"How did you hear about it?" Harry asked, his full attention now on the blonde-haired woman.

"How else do you hear about these things?" Mrs. Miller said. "Alex's mother informed me. I was good friends with both Ginny and Alex."

"Do you…know why Ginny's family wasn't informed?" Harry asked again.

Mrs. Miller looked down at her cup. She pondered for a moment how much she should say; how much to reveal. "I don't know," she finally said.

"We lost contact with Ginny a couple months before the accident," Hermione said. "Do you know why?"

There was a short pause before Mrs. Miller was finally responded. "She was pregnant and she was scared," she said slowly.

The sudden silence told Holly everything. She could see the surprise on Hermione's face, the shocked look on Harry's. Her mother was sitting there, staring at her tea, unable to say much more. Yet, Holly felt unusually proud of her mother. Despite the ball full of lies, for once, her mother was telling the truth.

"Pregnant," Hermione whispered. "Did the baby-?"

"Die?" Mrs. Miller filled in when Hermione couldn't finish.

Hermione nodded.

"No," she answered. "She's very much alive."

Hermione's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in surprise. "Where is she?" she asked eagerly.

Ginny Weasley looked at Harry, her chocolate eyes full of honesty. "She should be at Hogwarts now," Ginny said.

"What's her name?"

"That, I can't tell you," Ginny said, standing up and moving to the sink.

"Why not?" Hermione inquired.

Ginny sighed. "Because…I don't know."

Hermione and Harry both stared at each other, no words able to describe what had just happened. Behind the door, Holly understood the full meaning of her mother's words and knew what she had meant. She didn't mean she didn't know the girl's name; it was a confession that she did not know why she couldn't tell. It was the truth.

"Thank you for your time, Mrs. Miller," Hermione said. "We should keep in touch."

Ginny nodded and the three headed for the fireplace. "Holly!" Ginny called for her daughter. The little girl, who had hiding behind the plant a few minutes earlier, now appeared from her bedroom.

"Are we ready to go?" Holly asked.

"Yes, I think we have everything we need to know," Professor Potter told her. "Thank you for the tea, Mrs. Miller. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon in a more favorable circumstance."

Ginny nodded. She gave her daughter a hug and kissed the top of her red hair. "Good luck, pumpkin," she told her.

"Thanks, Mum," Holly whispered.

Ginny watched as her daughter disappeared into the fire place with the two adults following quickly behind her.

On the other side of the network, Hermione, Harry, and Holly popped out one by one into Harry's office.

"I will never get used to this," Holly said, brushing her robes off. "Thank you for picking me up, Professor."

"My pleasure," Professor Potter answered. "Your classmates are at lunch in the Great Hall if you wish to join them."

Holly nodded and left the room, heading for the Great Hall. With her disappearance left Hermione and Harry alone to discuss what they had just learned in private.

"So, Ginny had a little girl," Harry said dryly.

"Do you have any idea who it is?" Hermione asked, looking at her best friend.

"Nope."

"No little red-headed first years running around?"

"None except Daniel and Holly," he informed her.

"Really?" Hermione asked, her face becoming suddenly curious. "Only Holly?"

"Well, Holly used to be blonde," Harry added.

"And her hair was turned mysteriously red?" Hermione questioned.

Harry waved off the idea. "Hermione, it was one of George's pranks. Don't think too much into it."

Hermione took a step back from Harry. "Why aren't you as excited as I am about finding Ginny's daughter?" Hermione demanded to know.

Harry shrugged as he sat down behind his desk. "How can I be excited about Ginny having a child with another man?"

"But don't you want to know who she is?"

Harry shook his head. "You can figure it out. To me, she's just another student."

Hermione pursed her lips. "Fine, then." She turned to the fireplace and threw in some powder.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked.

"I have some work to do," Hermione said. "One of those kids is my niece and Merlin only knows that I am going to find out which one!" Hermione stepped into the fireplace and disappeared with a swoosh, hardly realizing that what she was about to discover was more than she had anticipated.


	16. Chapter 13

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Chapter 13**_

**A/N: **I had a lot of fun writing this chapter! Although it has taken some time to build, I think it came out the way I wanted to. Thank you so much for the reviews; they were very encouraging and I am pleased to know so many of you are enjoying this as much as I am!

* * *

After leaving Professor Potter's office, Holly headed down to the Great Hall where she spotted Daniel, Michael, and Cynthia who appeared to be eating peacefully among the students at the Gryffindor table. She slipped in next to Cynthia, across from the twins, and grabbed a roll from one of the plates. 

"Hello," she sang cheerfully.

Cynthia turned wide-eyed to her friend. "You!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, me."

"You're back!" she said again.

"So I am," Holly answered lightly. "What have I missed?"

Michael and Daniel exchanged mysterious looks that made Holly wish she hadn't asked. Yet, she did so that merited a reply. "Planning," Michael replied.

Holly lifted an eyebrow and studied each twin's face. "What are you planning?"

"Don't tell her," Cynthia warned the twins. "You've already gotten me in trouble; don't make her an accomplice, too!"

Holly turned towards her female friend. "You got in trouble? For what?"

Cynthia sighed, resting her head on her hand and looking at Holly sideways. "I had detention everyday last week," she confessed while sending the two boys a dark look. "And that is why you shouldn't know what they're up to."

"Aw c'mon, Cynthia," Daniel begged. "It wasn't really that bad. Besides, what is there not to know? Everyone else knows about it."

"Knows what?" Holly asked eagerly.

"Daniel! They do not know!" Cynthia responded indignantly. "Stop teasing her!"

The twins snickered in amusement which only increased Holly's curiosity. "Let them tell me!" Holly said eagerly.

Cynthia huffed and crossed her arms in a disapproving fashion. "Then I don't want to be a part of this conversation," she announced, standing up from the bench and grabbing her school bag. "I don't need to get into more trouble. I'll be in the library if you need me."

Holly bent closer towards the pair of mischievous grins and whispered, "So, what's going on?"

Michael eyed his red-headed brother for a moment before he turned back to her, his voice lower than Holly's. "Let's just say that some individuals are getting some well-deserved consequences."

"Who?" she asked eagerly.

"I'm sure you know already," Daniel said.

"Who at Hogwarts would want to make your life miserable?" Michael asked.

A smile played on Holly's lips. "Emma?" she mouthed.

"Jasmine and Maggie, too," Daniel added, "but you've got the gist. Want to help?"

Holly looked down the table where the three first year girls were sitting together, laughing at a joke that one of them had told. "Why do you guys want to prank them?" Holly whispered back.

Daniel and Michael looked at each other. "Look, we're from a respectable family," Daniel declared.

"One which shall not be marked by the name of blackmail," Michael added solemnly.

"They're blackmailing you?" Holly asked in surprise, looking from one twin to the other. "Why would they do that to you? I thought they liked you!"

Michael shrugged. "The ways of women are lost on me. Yet, I think it's about time they learned that you need more than your blood-type to be a good witch."

"But what are they blackmailing you with?"

Daniel looked at his brother and they exchanged dark looks. "Oh, we're not innocent," Daniel confessed warily. "We've done enough to be blackmailed."

"Yes," Michael agreed, "and after what they put you through, they need a good lesson."

"So are you in?" Daniel asked eagerly.

Holly looked back down at the girls. Oh, how they had plagued her these last couple months! It would be nice to wipe away the grins from those pompous faces. "I'm in. What's the plan?"

* * *

The sun had hardly begun to peek over the mountains when Holly woke up one morning three weeks after she had returned to school from her mother's. She grabbed her robes from her wardrobe and changed in the shadow of her four-poster bed. She tiptoed out of the portrait hole and through the castle, careful not to run into Filch, Mrs. Norris, or another teacher lest she wanted to get into more trouble than she could imagine. 

Climbing up the last few frozen steps, she entered the large round tower, pleased to find only owls occupying it. Yaelim was sitting near the top of the tower, her head under her wing. However, in order for their plan to work without raising suspicions to Holly, she couldn't use Yaelim. Instead, she chose the snowy white owl resting near her that had delivered her Hogwarts letter last summer.

"Come here," she called to it. The owl looked at her, clucking her beak in an annoyed fashion, apparently offended that a first year would address her in that way. "Come on! I don't have a lot of time!" she added impatiently. Still, the owl did not move. It just looked at her with a critical look that told Holly that she didn't plan on giving in.

"I have owl treats," she said, pulling out a couple of treats from her pocket. The snowy owl perked up, eyeing the treats in the girl's hand while equally scrutinizing her motivation. "Please, I need you to help me! Oh fine, I guess I'll use another one."

However, before Holly could motion to another owl to meet her needs, the snowy owl landed on her shoulder, her foot held out ready to deliver whatever Holly needed. Holly dug into her pocket and pulled out three wands. "Drop these in the forest, will you?" she whispered eagerly.

The owl, still giving her a critical look, hooted in agreement and grabbed the three wands out of her hand. It flapped its wings and took off, but Holly did not watch to see whether the owl carried out her request. She was already hurrying out of the Owlry and running through the halls, making more noise than she realized until she ran into Professor McGonagall on the second floor.

"Ms. Miller? What are you doing out of bed?" Professor McGonagall asked sharply.

Holly stopped dead still, suddenly at lost for words. "Owlry," she finally managed to say. "Yes, sending a letter…to my mother."

"Regardless of your reason, students are not to be out of their beds at this hour. Five points from Gryffindor. Do not let me catch you again or it will be detention. Do you understand?" McGonagall reprimanded.

Holly bit her lower lip. "Yes," she said quietly.

"Return to your common room," McGonagall dismissed Holly and continued to walk down the hall.

She watched the headmistress' retreating back disappear at the end of the corridor before she began walking again. Five points from Gryffindor! Was this worth it? She wondered bitterly. Luckily, she did not run into any teachers or the caretaker on her way back to the common room. Inside the portrait hole, she met Daniel and Michael, both waiting for her on a couch in front of the fireplace.

"So?" Michael asked eagerly.

"Did you send them?" Daniel added.

Holly let out a sigh of relief as she collapsed in an arm chair next to them. She gave them a thumbs up. "I ran into McGonagall, though," she told them. "She took away five points for me wandering through the halls.

Daniel laughed. "That's nothing. Five points won't hurt anyone."

"Yeah, she took away five points because I was loitering in the halls during lunch," Michael informed them.

Holly laughed. "Well, it's done. What next?"

"You put fake wands on their dressers?" Daniel asked.

"Yes."

"Then we're done!" he said happily.

"That's it?" Holly asked. "That's all we're doing? I thought we were doing something more…extreme."

Michael shook his head with a grin on his face. "You forget that we have an exam today in Transfiguration. Imagine the look on Professor Wyle's face when Emma tries to use her wand and a chicken pops out!" Michael laughed, his head flying hard into the back of the couch causing his twin to double with laughter at the loud bang.

"The exam! Merlin, I almost forgot!" Holly exclaimed worriedly.

"Ah, don't sweat it." Daniel told her. "Just transfiguring those blasted toothpicks into paper. That's the same thing we've been doing all month."

"But I haven't studied!" Holly cried, jumping up suddenly. "I can't fail! My mother will kill me if I fail an exam!"

"Don't sweat it—where are you going?" Daniel asked as Holly raced up the stairs to the girls' dormitory. He looked at his twin. "Mental that one is."

"I'd say," Michael answered. "You'd have thought she would have at least offered her notes to us."

Daniel punched Michael playfully on the arm before he, too, returned to his dormitory with Michael following behind.

* * *

Two hours after the morning excursion, the twins met Holly and Cynthia at breakfast, Holly studying furiously for their Transfiguration exam that morning and Cynthia casually reading Witch Weekly, occasionally laughing and pointing at different pictures. However, when the twins sat down across from the two girls, Cynthia stopped laughing and put down her magazine. 

"How could you?" she hissed at them. "Using Holly for one of your pranks!"

"You told her?" Daniel said, looking at Holly.

"No, she didn't have to tell me," Cynthia retorted. "I saw her leave the dormitory this morning."

Michael raised his hands in the air in an innocent manner. "She did it willingly," he argued. "We didn't have to make her do anything."

"Well, it cost Gryffindor points. If we lose more points-"

"Don't worry about it, Cynth," Daniel interrupted her, waving a muffin in the air. "What are the chances that we'll get caught? They have nothing on us."

Cynthia narrowed her eyes. "Oh yes, and Holly was just wandering around the school randomly."

"No, I sent a letter to my mother," Holly replied, taking a bit out of some bacon while writing down more notes.

"See?" Daniel pointed out. "She sent a letter to her dear mum."

Crossing her arms and pursing her lips, Cynthia did not say a word for the rest of breakfast or even afterwards as they made their way to Transfiguration. The room was even quieter as many other students, like Holly, were cramming for their first exam. As the clock struck nine, Professor Wyles marched into the classroom and everyone's attention was directed at him.

"As you are all fully aware, today is our first exam. The first half is written and the second is practical. You have forty-five minutes to complete the first portion of the exam. When the time is done, everyone will step outside and I will be calling you one by one to do your practical exam." After handing out anti-cheating parchment and quills, Professor Wyles took out his wand and wrote on the board three questions. "Please begin."

Holly glanced at the twins who both gave her the thumbs up. The questions were not as difficult as Holly imagined and she managed to relay most of the information that she had studied that morning. After the first portion of the exam was over, the class filed outside into the corridor, some anticipating the next part of the exam and others awaiting their doom. The twins, Holly, and Cynthia all grouped a little ways from the rest.

"So tell me, _what_ were you doing this morning?" Cynthia asked Holly.

Yet, before Holly could answer, Daniel answered for her. "I thought you didn't want any part in this."

"I don't, but-"

"Brighton, Cynthia!" Professor Wyles called out, interrupting Cynthia.

Cynthia jumped up, casting the three an angry look before disappearing through the door. Holly's eyes scanned the group and noticed her other roommates on the other side of the corridor. The three girls were muttering to each other, perhaps practicing wand movements or spells. It was apparent, however, that neither of the three had tried to do any magic with their wands since that morning as they all had the fake wands in their hands that Holly substituted.

Five minutes later, Cynthia came out with a satisfied look. "How did you do?" Holly asked.

"Pretty well, I think," she remarked. "There were still wood marks on the paper, but at least I got the wand movements correct and Professor Wyles complimented me on my pronunciation. I just need to concentrate more."

Holly made a mental note to do the same, but her attention was caught when Emma was called into the classroom. Daniel and Michael became suddenly quiet as they, too, noticed Holly's roommate being called in. It didn't take more than thirty seconds before they heard an ear-splitting shriek and Emma came out of the room sobbing.

"I don't know what happened, Professor!" she cried, holding a rubber fish in her hand. "This isn't my wand!"

"I can see that," Professor Wyles said dryly, writing a note on a piece of parchment. "Here is a note to see the Deputy Headmaster-"

"It's alright, Howard," a voice announced from the other side of the corridor. Professor Potter walked briskly towards the teacher, eyeing the sobbing first year quizzically. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Fake wand…must be some prank…childish," Professor Wyles muttered under his breath.

Professor Potter took the fish from Emma's hand and examined it carefully. "Where did you get this?" he asked Emma.

"I-I-I don't kn-know!" Emma cried.

"Does this happen to be your wand?" Professor Potter asked, holding out a wand for the girl to examine.

"Yes! That's my wand!" she exclaimed, suddenly elated.

Professor Wyles looked suddenly perplexed. "What-?"

"I got this in the post today. Three actually," Professor Potter said displaying two more wands. "I'm not sure where they came from, but I have a good guess at who's behind it." His eyes flickered towards the group of four at the other end of the corridor.

Instantly, Holly's stomach dropped making her feel suddenly nauseous. She glanced at Michael and Daniel who were both giving her astonished looks. _"You used Hedwig?" _Daniel mouthed unbelievably.

"I believe these belong to you," Professor Potter said, handing Maggie and Jasmine their wands. Both looked between the fake wand in their hands and the one that their teacher was handing them with astonishment. "And if you'll excuse me, Professor, I would like to have a word with some of your students."

"Yes, of course," Professor Wyles answered, watching Professor Potter walk away. "Alright, Emma, let's try this again."

As Emma re-entered the classroom to give her exam another try, Professor Potter stopped in front of Michael, Daniel, Holly, and Cynthia. "Come with me," he said coldly.

"But Professor, I didn't-" Cynthia pleaded.

"Come," he said again firmly.

The four trudged behind their teacher, both giving each other defeated looks. "I thought you said you wouldn't get caught," Cynthia whispered to Daniel.

"Yeah, well, we didn't think she'd use _Hedwig_," Daniel replied angrily.

"Hedwig?" Holly asked, but before anyone could reply, they were standing in front of Professor Potter's office.

The door opened as Professor Potter approached and the group entered. The Deputy Headmaster conjured three more seats to accompany the one that sat in his office and motioned for the four to sit while Professor Potter took a seat behind his desk.

For the first few minutes, Professor Potter did not speak but looked between the four of them. His green eyes pierced each of them, giving them the impression that he was reading their minds, but they couldn't figure out how. Finally, after he finished studying the last person, he spoke. "You don't need to tell me what is going on. I already know what happened and it disappoints me that you four would go that low to do such a thing. I expect better from our Gryffindor students."

Holly lowered her eyes, looking at her feet instead, feeling suddenly ashamed of herself. "It's not their fault, Professor," Holly whispered. "I did it."

"That's very brave of you, Ms. Miller, but you were not the master-mind of this," Professor Potter said, causing the four of them to look at their teacher in surprise. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and detention for all four of you."

The four gasped in shock. "But, Professor, I didn't have anything to do with this-" Cynthia cried.

"No, but you did not alert a teacher, either, and that enabled them to carry out what would have been a horrible prank," Professor Potter responded. "I will also be sending letters to each of your parents. You may go, now—except Holly."

Michael, Daniel, and Cynthia all stood up, but not before giving Holly a sympathetic look. Holly, however, turned back to staring at her shoes and did not watch her friends exit the office. There was a moment of silence which was not broken until the door clicked behind them.

"I can assume that Michael and Daniel put you up to this, didn't they?" he said in a calmer voice than before.

"No," Holly whispered. "I wanted to do it."

"Why?"

Holly looked up with frustration written on her face. "They have been tormenting me since I got here! I am so tired-"

"We all have enemies, Holly, but that does not mean that we have to go out of her way to make their lives miserable," Professor Potter pointed out.

The red-head nodded her head, not wanting to say anything.

"I expect you to be in my office Thursday night at eight," Professor Potter announced, straightening up in his chair.

"Professor?" Holly asked, confused.

"For your lessons," he answered.

"Oh, right," Holly said lamely. She waited for a moment for Professor Potter to speak but when it was evident that he would not say anything else, she stood up. Professor Potter stood up with her and with a final nod he excused her from his office.

* * *

"How did you do on your exam?" Cynthia asked after Herbology as they walked toward the Great Hall for lunch. 

Holly shrugged. When she had returned to the Transfiguration class, she was the last student to do the practical exam but her preoccupation with her distress caused all of her notes and studying to elude her. "Alright, I guess," she muttered tiredly. "I'm not sure if I did the wand movements correctly."

"Did your toothpick transfigure?" she said.

"Yeah," Holly said, stifflying a yawn. "I guess I'm just tired."

"What did Professor Potter say to you after we left?" Cynthia continued.

"Nothing."

"_Nothing?"_ Daniel said behind her, the twins having caught up with the two girls. "He must have said something!"

"Yeah," Michael added. "What did you do? Sit in silence?"

"Just about," Holly replied.

Daniel shook his head. "I can't believe what you did!" he exclaimed, hiding his face in his hand.

"What did I do?" Holly asked exasperatedly.

"You used that snowy owl!" Michael responded.

"So I did. What does it matter?"

Michael and Daniel exchanged horrified looks. "That's Professor Potter's owl! _Hedwig!_ You used a teacher's owl to pull a prank!" Daniel said, mortified.

Holly felt her face turn red. That would explain everything. "Let's not talk about it," she mumbled, entering into the Great Hall and taking a seat at the Gryffindor table.

Sitting a few spots down the table from them were Emma, Jasmine, and Maggie, each looking quite irate. Michael and Daniel returned their looks with enthusiastic waves. This made Emma get up and approach them.

"What do you think you're playing at?" she demanded to know.

Michael looked seriously at her. "Well, that depends," he replied simply. "What are _you _playing at?"

"We're not playing at anything," she responded, now surrounded by Maggie and Jasmine. "You could have cost us our grade!"

"Oh yes and harassing a fellow classmate is _so _much better," Cynthia answered sarcastically, earning an astounded look from Holly who did not expect her to stand up to these three.

"Stay out of this, Cynthia," Jasmine barked.

"No," Cynthia replied firmly, standing up at the table. "I will not stay out of this. I've been watching you all year! You have been messing around with Holly's potions so that she would fail, bewitching her toothpick so that it would not change, and then humiliating her in Defense Against the Dark Arts so that she could not concentrate. What makes you think what we did was so much worse? You're lucky I did not tell Professor Potter what you've been up to. You would be expelled faster than you could say 'humiliated.'"

Holly looked in shock between Cynthia and the other three girls. _"What?" _she whispered. "Everything that's been going wrong…has been because of you?"

Emma, Jasmine, and Maggie shifted their stances uncomfortably. "Yeah, well," Maggie muttered, looking somewhat ashamed.

"It hasn't been entirely us," Emma said indignantly. "It's not like she was doing a great job in the first place."

"Only because you won't allow her to build confidence in herself," Cynthia countered. "Now, is this going to stop or do I need to talk to someone who can make it stop?"

The three girls were silently exchanging looks. "It will stop," Emma assured her. "But only if you stop."

"Only if-" Daniel began, but was cut off by Cynthia.

"We'll stop," she promised, giving the twins a sharp looking. With a defeated look, Michael and Daniel both nodded in agreement.

"Good," Jasmine said and marched away, Emma and Maggie following behind.

Holly shook her head as she watched them leave the Great Hall. "Attitude," she said disgustedly.

"Yes, well, some people find it difficult to be accepted any other way," Cynthia answered quietly, leaving Holly, Daniel, and Michael at the table to mull over her words.

* * *

If there was one thing Hermione Weasley was proud of, it was her Muggle heritage. Not only did it allow her to act as a mediator for two worlds, but when one world could not provide her with sufficient resources, she could also count on the other. In this case, it was the Muggle world. Three busy weeks after leaving Harry's office, Hermione managed to steal some time away from home and took a trip to London. 

It had been ages since Hermione had visited the London Library. As a child, her parents would take here there to delve into the long rows of novels and encyclopedias, books that would normally seem inappropriate for her young age. By the age of ten, she knew the library inside and out and every worker by name. Now, twenty-five years later, she hardly recognized anyone in the building although the place did not seem to have aged a day. Yet, she did not come in to revisit her childhood; she headed straight to the back of the building where the newspaper archive was located.

Passing through the stacks of newspapers, Hermione sat down in front of one of the computers and began to browse through the articles in the last fifteen years. She filled in the date (December 25), selected the newspapers she wanted to search, and indicated which section she was looking for—obituaries. In a matter of minutes, the computer came up with several articles. However, none mentioned anyone, young or old, named Alex or Ginny.

Slightly disappointed, Hermione went back and changed date for the next day, December 26. Yet, the results were once again unsatisfactory. Had Jenny lied to her?

Seeing Hermione's frustrated look, a nearby librarian tapped Hermione on the shoulder. "Do you need help with something?" she asked kindly.

Hermione sat back in her chair, her hands folded as she stared at the screen. "I'm looking for someone who died," she explained. "He died on Christmas twelve years ago."

The librarian looked at the list of obituaries on the computer. "Hmm," she responded. "Have you searched any other days? Obituaries are usually published a few days after the person has died."

"Makes sense," Hermione murmured, half surprised she was about to give up so soon. Going back to the search page, Hermione entered the next three dates in the search bar. This time, the results did more than surprise her. At the bottom of the search page, she found more than she had expected to find. A picture of a man with dark hair and brown eyes smiled out at Hermione with the name "Alexander J. Miller" next to it. It was the man from the pictures in Jenny's house! The eyes were unmistakable!

_**Alexander J. Miller**_

_At the age of twenty-nine, Alexander Miller died in a car accident on Christmas Day. Dr. Miller ran a clinic with mentor, Dr. Raymond Rogers, before he was hit by another car on his way to the hospital._

_Dr. Miller met and married his wife, Ginevra Miller, and the two had a private ceremony in March of the next year. In August, the couple discovered that they were expecting their first child. On Christmas Eve, Mrs. Miller went into premature labor and was rushed to the hospital. Dr. Miller, who was working overtime that night, left the clinic immediately to meet his wife and mother at the hospital. However, Dr. Miller did not make it to meet his mother, wife, or new daughter. A few minutes after the arrival of his daughter, Dr. Miller was pronounced dead from internal injuries._

_Alexander left his wife, his daughter , Holly Alexis Miller, parents, John and Pam Miller, and brother, Jacob Miller behind. He will be sorely missed._

Hermione read the obituary again and again. _Ginevra Miller. _"Ginny! She was still alive!" Hermione thought to herself. "And Holly Miller! She is Ginny's daughter!" Her mind went back to that morning when she had met Holly's mother. No wonder those pictures looked so familiar! And the blonde-haired woman was Ginny! Right under their noses! How could she not have figured it out before?

And as suddenly as she became excited, she was filled with anger. Ginny had lied to her to cover her identity. Why had she done that? Why was she trying to keep her identity a secret? And now that Hermione knew, she was intent on getting answers out of her sister-in-law. However, before she could carry out her plan on visiting Ginny, the librarian came back.

"Did you find what you were looking for—Oh," the woman said, her face turning white as she saw what Hermione was looking at.

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked, noticing the woman's pale face.

"You were looking for Alex Miller? He was my son," she said quietly.


	17. Chapter 14

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Chapter 14**_

**A/N:** To all of you who wanted a quick update, this is for you! Thanks for the reivews--I am really glad that you are enjoying this story!

* * *

"You're son?" Hermione asked unbelievably, staring wide-eyed at the older woman.

The librarian straightened up, peeling her eyes off of her son to look at Hermione. "What do you want to know about my son?" she said suspiciously.

"He married my sister-in-law," Hermione began, unsure of how much she should say. "She has been missing for almost twelve years and we are trying to find her."

"Twelve years?" the librarian said, pursing her lips. "A little late to be investigating her, isn't it?"

"No, I just-"

The librarian closed her eyes and held her hand up. "I refuse to talk about this anymore," she said firmly. "It has been almost twelve years since Alex died. If Ginny did not want you to know, then she obviously had some good reasons behind it." The librarian turned around to leave, but Hermione did not want to give up.

"Wait!" she cried, standing up to follow the librarian. "Please, tell me—does your granddaughter go to Hogwarts?"

The librarian stopped dead still, peering over her shoulder at the brown-haired woman. "How did you know?" she whispered fiercely.

Hermione lowered her voice so that no one else could hear her. "I have met your granddaughter, Holly," she said. "You see, I'm from her world, too."

The librarian turned around to face Hermione, a surprised look on her face. "You're…one of them?" she said.

"Yes," Hermione confirmed.

"Well, you certainly don't look like a witch," the librarian said, eyeing Hermione.

"I am," Hermione assured her. "Please, ma'am, can you tell me more about Ginny? What happened after Alex died?"

"My name is Pam," the older woman said, giving a heavy sigh. "What do you want to know?"

* * *

Wednesday morning, Holly, Cynthia, Daniel, and Michael received notes from Professor Potter concerning their detention. "We have to clean the trophy room with Filch tonight," Daniel complained, stuffing his note in his bag.

"That's better than having to sort dung beetles for Professor Vane," Cynthia responded, buttering a piece of toast. "I had to do that all last week."

Holly looked curiously at her note. "You guys are cleaning the trophy room?" she said, glancing at Cynthia's note which was identical to Daniel and Michael's. "I'm meeting Professor Potter."

Michael and Daniel peered at her note. "Lucky!" Michael exclaimed.

"Don't get too excited, Mike," Cynthia warned putting away her note and returning to her food. "I doubt he's going to let her off easy."

And Cynthia was more right than Holly imagined. At a few minutes before seven o'clock, she made her way to his office and rapped on the door. "Come in."

Holly entered cautiously. "Professor?" she called, peeking around the door.

"Come in," Professor Potter responded. "Take a seat."

Holly sat down in the chair across from her teacher, setting her bag on the floor. Professor Potter had been grading a stack of parchment, but stopped when Holly entered. "Sir?" she said, wondering what Professor Potter had in store for her.

"You have a special project today," Professor Potter answered her thoughts. "You will be cleaning out the Owlry. As you might have noticed, the pile of owl pellets has gotten out of control."

"This is a special project?" she asked, scrunching her nose at the idea of cleaning regurgitated mouse skeletons.

Professor Potter put down his quill and stood up. "Yes," he responded. "Your friends will be serving detention with Filch as you might already know. However, since you like using owls and you are the one who executed this plan, you get to clean up the mess—_without magic_."

Holly stood up and followed Professor Potter out of his office and towards the Owlry. Neither said anything as they arrived and Professor Potter said very little as he gave her a broom, a mop, and a bucket of water. In fact, neither said a word for several hours until Holly, her whole body trembling and aching, finally announced that she was finished.

Professor Potter checked his watch. "I think that will do," he said inspecting the round tower. "You may return to your common room."

Not bothering to look back, Holly sped away from the Owlry, promising herself never to return for any unnecessary reason. Just as she approached the common room, Michael, Daniel, and Cynthia appeared at the other end of the corridor, all three wet with sweat and looking beat.

"So, how was it?" Holly asked them wearily, her own body aching.

Daniel was rubbing his arms gently, a pained look on his face. "Fun," he said with a grimace.

"Loads," Michael answered. "What did you have to do, Holly? Anything exciting?"

Holly shook her head. "I had to clean the Owlry," she told them as the four entered the common room. The room was empty except for a group of sixth year boys sitting at a table on the other side of the room.

"That's gross," said Cynthia, collapsing onto a nearby chair.

"Tell me about it," said Holly as she sat down in a chair next to Cynthia. "I never knew owls could be so…messy."

"They're animals," Cynthia said matter-of-factly. "Do you really expect them to be clean?"

Holly shrugged, watching the twins collapse on a couch on Cynthia's other side. "I can't believe how many trophies there are!" Michael exclaimed. "Wonder how they all fit."

"You're a wizard, Michael," Cynthia commented sarcastically. "It's called magic."

Daniel whacked Michael on the forehead, causing the latter to groan in pain. "Dolt," Daniel said, shaking his head. He stood up, stretched for a moment, and headed towards his dormitory with Michael following behind.

"Going to bed already? Cleaning trophies too much for you?" she teased, her own eyelids feeling heavy.

"We deserve a good rest," Michael announced indignantly.

"Yes, your naivety alone gave us a good headache," Daniel added, disappearing up the stairs with his twin.

Holly laughed, her eyes closing as she rested into her chair. "Was it really that bad?" she asked Cynthia.

"No," she answered, examining her hands carefully. "Oh, and I wanted to ask you; your mother went to Hogwarts, didn't she?"

"That's what she says," Holly responded. "Why?"

"Ginevra?"

Holly sat up. "How do you know my mom's name?"

"Isn't that what you write on your letters to her?" Cynthia said.

"Oh yeah," Holly remembered. "You were looking at my letters to my mum?"

"How can I not when you place them in plain view? Don't worry; I don't read them," Cynthia added quickly, seeing Holly's stunned expression.

"What about my mum?" Holly said again, feeling slightly relieved that Cynthia had at least allowed her some privacy. "Her name was on a trophy?"

"I think so," Cynthia answered. "It was for Quidditch."

Holly looked confused. "That can't be my mum," she said. "No one in my family is athletic."

Cynthia peered over at her friend. "I guess it could have been someone else, but she looks so much like you."

"Really?" Holly asked, getting up.

"Where are you going?" Cynthia asked, watching Holly race toward the exit.

"I want to see!" she said excitedly.

Cynthia jumped up and ran after Holly, barely catching up to her at the end of the corridor. "What are you doing? It's past curfew! Do you want us to get detention again?"

Holly looked around worriedly, but kept walking. "Filch is probably in his office," Holly declared. "We won't get caught."

"Yes, that's what Daniel and Michael said about your little prank and look at what happened!" Cynthia exclaimed.

"Quiet!" Holly hushed her. "Do you _want _him to hear us?"

Cynthia was about to respond, but closed her lips instead and followed her friend tip-toeing through the corridors. Evading Filch and Mrs. Norris wasn't as easy as Holly had thought. At one point, the two had to duck behind a portrait as they saw the cat coming down the other end of the corridor, sniffing at a suit of amour.

"You're going to get us into trouble," Cynthia reminded Holly as the two went down another corridor.

"Am not," Holly said. "See? We're here. No McGonagall, no Filch, no Mrs. Norris."

Cynthia grumbled, but did not turn back. "What about on the way back?"

"If you keep making so much noises, then we will get caught," Holly hissed. "Where did you see it?"

Walking across the room, Cynthia pointed to a large trophy where a picture of seven individuals, each dressed in red Quidditch robes, were smiling and waving up at Holly and Cynthia. At the center of the picture was a redheaded girl about the age of fifteen and holding a snitch proudly in her hand. There was no mistaking the hair, the eyes, or the grin on her face. It was Holly's mother, younger and happier than Holly had ever seen her.

"So, is it?" Cynthia asked curiously.

However, Holly did not respond. She went on to read the names of the team members.

_**Gryffindor Quidditch Team**_

Keeper: Ronald Weasley  
Beater: Jack Sloper  
Beater: Andrew Kirke  
Chaser: Demelza Robins  
Chaser: Katie Bell  
Chaser: Dean Thomas  
Seeker: Ginevra Weasley  
_Not pictured: Team Captain, Harry Potter_

"Her?" Holly gasped, her eyes wide and pointing at the girl in the middle. "That can't be my mum…but it looks so much like her!"

"And she looks so much like you!" Cynthia added.

Holly examined the picture closer. The girl in the picture had Holly's nose, her smile, and even the same red hair that Holly has recently acquired. In fact, had the girl not looked so much older, she could have been mistaken for Holly. "But this girl is a Weasley. My mum never mentioned being a Weasley," Holly said.

"Why not? They're practically famous! The whole family fought against You-Know-Who!" Cynthia exclaimed.

"I don't know," Holly said, shaking her head. "She hasn't told me a lot of things. I'm not even sure she played Quidditch. She never said anything about that, either."

"What are you girls doing in here?"

Cynthia and Holly whipped around, heart pounding in their chest. At the entrance to the Trophy Room was Professor Potter, holding his wand up to light up the room. "Brighton? Miller? What are you two doing out of bed? Again?"

"We were…er…" Holly began, but led her voice drop to nothing.

"You played Quidditch, Professor?" Cynthia asked.

Professor Potter eyed the two skeptically. "What does Quidditch have to do with you two being out of bed? Miller, this is the second time this week."

Holly bowed her head. "I wanted to look at something," she confessed.

"And it couldn't wait until morning?" Professor Potter asked again.

"I didn't know my mum played Quidditch," Holly said truthfully. "I didn't even know she was in Gryffindor."

"What?" Professor Potter asked in confusion.

"At least, I think so," Holly added quickly. "She certainly looks like my mother."

Professor Potter looked behind the two girls at the Quidditch Cup his team had won during his sixth year. He pointed to the picture and turned to Holly. "This team?"

Holly nodded, staring fixedly at the girl in the center.

"I was the Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team," Professor Potter said slowly. "Your mother was not on this team."

"Are you sure?" Holly responded, pointing to the girl in the middle. "Because I think that's her."

Professor Potter looked at the spot where Holly was pointing to and nearly fell over in shock. There, smiling and waving furiously at him, was Ginny Weasley. "That can't be…" he whispered. He shook his head and turned to the girls. "Return to your common room. Ten points from Gryffindor," he said quickly, but did not stop looking at the picture.

Holly and Cynthia scurried out of the room, both thankful to have evaded detention. However, Professor Potter did not follow them. Instead, he continued to stare at the picture of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Did this make sense? It couldn't be her…could it?

* * *

It was late on Wednesday when Ginny returned from a long day at the store. Several customers had come in complaining about the small selection of books which Ginny had to remind them that this wasn't a library and referred them to another store. Later, the girl who worked the evening shift called in sick which meant Ginny had to work overtime. By the time she reached her flat, all she wanted to do was sleep. However, sleep was the last thing she was going to get. As she turned the corner, she noticed a light on in her apartment _and it was moving!_

She pulled out her wand and unlocked the front door. However, she did not have to search long to discover who had invaded her apartment. Sitting at the table with a cup of tea in one hand was Hermione.

"Hello Ginny," she said lightly. "Or is it Jenny now? I can never be sure."

Ginny dropped her bag on the counter. "What are you doing here?"

Hermione put down her cup. "I thought it was obvious," she answered seriously.

"So you figured it out," Ginny said tiredly, hanging up her coat. "I knew you would. I'm just surprised it took you so long."

"Then why bother hiding it if you knew I would find out?" Hermione countered. "And what did you do with your hair?"

Ginny pulled at one of her blonde locks. "I always thought I would look good in blonde," she said thoughtfully.

"It's hideous."

"Red is hideous."

"At least we would recognize you," Hermione said coldly.

Ginny sat down across from her sister-in-law. "And did it escape your mind that perhaps I _did not _want to be recognized?"

"No, it did not," Hermione said evenly, putting down her cup.

"I thought so," Ginny replied, sitting back in her chair. "So how did you find out?"

"Library as always," Hermione answered. "I met your mother-in-law there. We had a pleasant conversation about you."

Ginny's face grew pale. "What are you doing talking to my mother-in-law?" she whispered fiercely.

"That should be the least of your worries," Hermione retorted with a scowl. "What are you going to do when I tell your mother that you are indeed alive?"

"Nothing," Ginny said simply, standing up to get herself a cup of water.

"_Nothing?" _Hermione said unbelievably. "You would do _nothing?_"

"Why do I need to?" Ginny returned. "It won't make a difference."

"They're your family! They care about you! They have lived these last twelve years believing you were dead!" Hermione exclaimed, turning around in her chair to face Ginny.

"What do you want me to do? Go back to my parents and beg for forgiveness?" Ginny returned, setting herself back down across from Hermione.

Hermione sighed. "No, I want you to be a part of the family again. We've missed you. Why else would I have come here?"

Ginny sat quietly in her chair, spinning her glass of water in her hands. "I know," she muttered, not meeting Hermione's eyes. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"What are you thinking now?" Hermione asked.

"Hardly anything," Ginny said with a sigh. "In a matter of months, I lost both my life and my husband. For almost twelve years, my whole life has been devoted to taking care of my daughter. I don't have time to think about anything else."

"We would have helped you, you know that," Hermione said, placing a hand on Ginny's arm. "You didn't have to go through that alone."

"But I did," Ginny countered. "I did this to myself! I knowingly abandoned my family, married a man that I loved yet hardly knew, and chose to live like a Muggle! I was not about to go crawling back to my parents, widowed and with a baby that I thought was a squib!"

"Ridiculous," Hermione said. "Your own child? A squib? With your magical blood, that couldn't be possible."

"It felt possible," Ginny confessed. "Every second of every day, I felt more sure that my daughter was a squib and as a mother, I could not break her heart by telling her that I belong to an entirely different world full of magic while she must live as an outsider. I couldn't do it, Hermione."

"What about right now?" Hermione asked again.

"What do you mean?"

Hermione threw her hands in the air. "You're still living like a Muggle while Holly is living in the wizarding world!" she cried in frustration. "It's the same thing!"

"This is different," Ginny said quietly. "Half of her life is still in the Muggle world."

"It won't be like that forever," Hermione retorted. "Soon, her life will be in the wizarding world. What are you going to do?"

Ginny looked down at her cup of water and said nothing. After a moment, Hermione continued. "And what were you going to do when you found out Holly was really a witch?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out, aren't I?" Ginny returned, her face showing her exhaustion.

Hermione nodded silently, eyeing her cold tea for a moment. "What about Harry?"

Ginny's heart skipped a beat. "What about him?" she tried to say casually.

"You love him," Hermione said again.

"It's over," Ginny stated sadly. "It was over twelve years ago."

Hermione grabbed Ginny's hand. "It doesn't have to be," she said eagerly.

Ginny pulled her hand away, looking at Hermione squarely. "He knew I eloped," Ginny said quietly. "He knew and he left."

The brown-haired girl sat up in surprise. "He left?" she said incredulously.

"Hermione, it's just better this way."

"No, it's not!" Hermione protested. "Ginny, Harry isn't the only person in the world who cares about you! What about your mother and your father? Don't they have the right to know that they have a granddaughter?"

"Yes, but-"

Hermione stood up. "Ginny, I won't deny that I am upset that you lied to me, but don't make things worse. Your family will find out one day and the only way they won't forgive you is if you don't tell them yourself." The brown-haired woman headed towards the door, Ginny following her.

"Hermione?" Ginny called to her. "Are you going to tell them?"

Hermione stared at Ginny, a wan look on her face. "No," she said finally. "I trust you to make your own decisions. But please, when you do finally decide, remember that we have never stopped worrying about you and we will welcome you back with open arms."

The door shut with a click, but the sound did not register in Ginny's ear. Instead, Hermione's words rang in her ears as she turned out the light in the kitchen, brushed her teeth, changed, and settled into bed. Even as she turned out the light to her bedroom, the images of her family came into view, with Harry in the middle, smiling. Was this possible? Would they really forgive her?

As she fell asleep, her dreams told her of another story. Holly appeared at the apartment, red-faced and angry, demanding to know why Ginny wasn't playing Quidditch. Before Ginny could answer, her daughter's face turned into that of fiery Mrs. Weasley.

"I RAISED YOU BETTER THAN THAT!" her words screamed before she, too, began to morph and changed and Ginny was now looking at a disgruntled Harry.

"You couldn't wait eight months?" he said angrily.

Ginny woke up, cold sweat on her brow and trembling. No, she couldn't see how they could forgive her. Hermione was wrong.


	18. Chapter 15

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Chapter 15**_

**A/N: **Thank you to all of you who reviewed, even those of you who are very skeptical and have voiced your opinion about what you think will happen next. Leaves me room to surprise you ;) I put a lot of time and care of details into this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Through the darkness of the small, circular dormitory, Holly tossed and turned in her four poster bed. After leaving the Trophy Room, she couldn't keep her mind off of the girl in the picture, dressed in Quidditch Robes and waving up at her with a large grin on her face. It was at this point that Holly realized that she knew less about her mother than she had originally thought and this really bothered her. What else did she not know? 

When her alarm did go off at seven, she pulled her aching body out of bed and headed for the showers. It took her nearly an hour to get through the line for her shower and by eight, she was dressed and heading down to the Great Hall with her Defense Against the Dark Arts book under her arm. Although she didn't have the class until that afternoon, she needed all the time she could get to study for her exam, especially since she had procrastinated once again.

"Morning, Holly," Cynthia said with a yawn, sitting herself down next to the red-head and pulling out her own text book. "This is going to be a horrible day; I can feel it."

"Really?" said Michael sitting down with Daniel across the two. "I didn't know you were a seer!"

"Ah, Cynthia: The New Seer of the Age!" Daniel pronounced, holding his fork in the air.

Holly scrunched her nose. "Divination?" she said. "I don't think any of that is real."

"Sure it is," Cynthia said, taking a sip of her milk. "It just isn't common."

"Really?" Holly said in amazement. "Mum always said that stuff was a load of hogwash-"

Daniel and Michael gave her a look of mock astonishment. "How dare you insult the new Seer!" Daniel exclaimed.

"I can already see your life dwindling away before my eyes!" Michael said dramatically, holding his hands over her food as if he were gazing into an invisible crystal ball.

"Oh, shut up," Holly said carelessly, eating her cornflakes while reading her notes. "If you believe in Divination, then please tell me whether I'll pass this exam."

Cynthia rolled her eyes. "Like _you_ would fail," she answered sarcastically.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Holly asked, stabbing a piece of sausage with her fork.

"Oh come on, Holly," Daniel said. "You've been getting the top marks on all of the written exams! How could you fail this one?"

Holly diverted her eyes to the boy across from her. "I'll have you know that half of this exam is practical. I can easily fail that part of the exam," she corrected him.

"Right, and I'm a hippogriff in disguise," Daniel muttered to his brother.

Holly grimaced at the pair, but carried on with her studying. Their first class of the morning was flying and for the first time, Holly was looking forward to it. At ten minutes to the hour, the Gryffindors trailed down to the Quidditch Pitch where they met their instructor, Madam Hunt. As usual, the woman was looking at the class crossly as if she just got hit with a bludger and was looking for the perpetrator. A row of brooms was laid out in front of her.

"All here?" she called. "Alright, take a broom and mount!"

The class divided themselves between the brooms and Holly found herself next to a rather knobby one. Although she had been to three flying lessons since her fall, she still felt a pang of nervousness in the pit of her stomach. There is something about a fifty-or-so foot drop that one could not forget. Perhaps this was why there was a note of uncertainty in her voice as she said, "Up!" and the broom jumped into her hand.

Holly braced herself, ready for the broom to shoot into the air, but it did not. Her feet were still on solid ground and now the broom was floating at her side. She looked in amazement at Cynthia who had already mounted her broom. Cynthia gave her a thumbs up before turning her broom and following Madam Hunt for a lap around the stadium. However, this was as far as Holly dared to go that day, seeing as she was still uneasy, but she had a spring in her step as she walked back up to the castle for lunch.

"Did you see it?" she said excitedly to Cynthia.

Cynthia beamed back at her. "Of course I did! I was standing right next to you."

"First time, too!"

"What are you gloating about?" Michael said, coming up behind them. The two arrived a little after the rest of their class, both receiving stern warnings and expulsion threats from Madam Hunt for trying to race their brooms around the Quidditch Pitch.

"My broom! It actually obeyed me!" she proclaimed, plopping down on the bench in the Great Hall and rummaging through her bag for another book. "You know, maybe you were right, Cynthia. Maybe my mum _was _a Quidditch Player! If she could ride a broomstick, then I should be able to, also!"

"Whoa, Holly!" Daniel cautioned her. "That's a bit extreme."

"Why don't you try mounting the broom first?" Michael added. He ducked just in time to miss a well-aimed dinner roll which instead hit a Hufflepuff third year on the back of the head. Holly dived under the table just as the third year turned around, looking for the person responsible for hitting them.

"Nice," Daniel hissed at Holly.

The red-headed girl peeked over the table in time to see the third year turn back around and continue eating lunch. "Not my fault," she said, pulling herself back onto the bench. "What do you think, Cynthia?"

"Think about what?" the other girl asked, peeling her eyes away from her notes.

"Riding a broom!" Holly cried.

Cynthia sat thoughtfully for a moment. "Why not ask Professor Potter to take you out again? You have your tutoring session with him tonight."

"And what? Have her come back in a plastic bag?" Michael inserted.

"They're right," Holly pointed out. "Madam Hunt was quite furious last time he took me out."

"Yes, but what she doesn't know can't hurt her," Cynthia answered with mysterious grin on her face. She stood up and grabbed her notes from the table, apparently giving up on studying over lunch. "I am going to the library. I'll see you three in class."

After much dawdling throughout lunch, Holly and the twins decided to head for their common room to pick up some extra parchment and ink before their exam that afternoon. For the first time in weeks, the young redhead felt quite relaxed and calm. It was as though she took some potion to calm her nerves which lasted all the way through her Defense Against the Dark Arts exam. The uneasy feeling, in fact, did not return until after class when Holly approached her teacher's desk.

"Professor?" she said hesitantly.

"Yes, Miss Miller?" Professor Potter responded without looking up a paper that he was grading.

"I was…er…wondering," she stammered for a moment before regaining her courage, "if you could...um…try teaching me ride a broom."

Professor Potter's head jerked up, his bright green eyes looking at her quizzically from behind his glasses. "You want to try riding a broom again?" he repeated as if he did not quite hear her correctly.

"Yes, sir."

"Miss Miller, the last time I tried teaching you how to ride a broom, you nearly died," he explained gravely. "Considering I promised Professor McGonagall that I would not attempt this again, I do not think it is a good idea to go against her wishes."

"But Professor-"

"How about I set you up with a student who _can_ teach you how to fly?" Professor Potter interrupted.

Holly appeared skeptical. "Who?"

* * *

Five till eight, Holly arrived at Professor Potter's office. The latter was once again sitting behind his desk grading papers and did not notice Holly's entrance until she was standing in front of him. "Good evening, Miss Miller," he greeted shuffling his papers and cramming them into a cabinet already full of papers. "No need to sit down," he added, standing up. "We'll be going down to the Quidditch Pitch." 

Holly couldn't help grinning as she followed her teacher out of his office even though her stomach did a somersault. It took nearly ten minutes before the two finally made it to the Entrance Hall where Filch was standing by the door, eyeing the pair oddly. "Professor," he grunted, though his eyes rested on Holly.

"It's perfectly alright, Argus," Professor Potter said while opening the doors with his wand. "Detention."

Filch grunted again, though this time he seemed more pleased. The two passed through the doors and did not speak again until the doors clanked shut behind them.

"Detention?" Holly repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Professor Potter did not look at her as they strolled across the grounds. "I would rather no one know the real reason we are out here," he answered simply.

Holly nodded and so the two walked in silence until they reached the shadows of the stadium. However, before the two could enter the stadium, Professor Potter stopped her just outside the entrance.

"What-?"

"_Silencio!"_ Professor Potter murmured, pointing his wand at Holly.

Holly tried to speak, but nothing came out. She gestured frantically, but Professor Potter made no effort to explain. Instead, he dug into his cloak and pulled out a silvery, fluid-like fabric. In one motion, he threw the fabric over Holly's small frame, the length cloth gathering at her feet. Holly looked down at her ankles and would have gasped if she was not under the Silencing Charm. _Her ankles were gone! _She held up her hands—they were gone, too! She was invisible!

"Follow me," he whispered and took a step into the stadium which was brightly lit by four ginormous lights. Above them, seven players in red robes were zooming across the field. Holly recognized them as the Gryffindor Quidditch Team whom were practicing when she fell several weeks before. One of the chasers flew down to meet Professor Potter.

"Hello, Professor!" he greeted. Holly knew him to be one of the sixth years who usually occupied the common room late at night. "What do you think?"

"Brilliant," Professor Potter marveled. "Though you leave the left side complete open. It will only take one bludger to break the line."

The sixth year nodded, staring at the left side of the field as if he was imagining the bludger tearing right through his players. "You're right," he agreed, though more worrisome. "Better fix that tomorrow. We won't have time tonight. COME IN TEAM!"

The other six players flew down and landed next to their captain. The last one and the youngest to land was the third year that had saved Holly's life, Ryan Mason. Holly was suddenly glad that she was invisible as she felt her cheeks flush with heat.

"Good practice!" the captain called out. "Let's break until tomorrow. We have a few things we need to fix before the match on Saturday, so let's come focused! _Be on time!" _He stared at two fourth-year girls, both rolling their eyes at him in response.

While the rest of the team headed for the locker room, Professor Potter took aside one of the players. "I am going to need to borrow your seeker for a moment, Arnold," he said to the captain with a hand resting on Ryan's shoulder. He steered the confused boy to the center of the field and the two were silent until the last player disappeared.

"I need you for a favor," he said quietly to Ryan. His hands fumbled through the air until they landed on Holly's head and pulled the invisibility cloak off of her.

"You!" Ryan blurted.

For a moment, Holly wished that Professor Potter hadn't taken the cloak off of her. Her cheeks burned so badly that all she wanted to do was disappear again. She was even tempting running out of the stadium if her feet hadn't been glued to the ground.

"I would like you to help her ride a broom," Professor Potter requested.

Ryan looked between his Head of House and the embarrassed first year. "Are you sure, Professor?" he said tentatively, gripping his broom. "After what happened last time?"

"You won't have to worry about that," Professor Potter assured him. "She won't be by herself. Just let her fly with you for a few laps until she gets the hang of it."

Holly tried to protest, but found that she was still under the Silencing Charm so she tapped her teacher instead. "Don't worry, Holly," he said to her. "Ryan is an excellent Flyer." Professor Potter then covered himself in his cloak, his physical body disappearing behind the fluid material. "Holly, I need you to keep quiet so bear with me a little longer. I will be sitting in the stands over there." His exposed arm pointed towards the Gryffindor stands and disappeared once more.

Ryan looked curiously at Holly. "Are you ready?"

Holly nodded, unable to give a verbal response. Ryan mounted his broom and motioned for Holly to mount behind him. She hesitated a moment, stopped right next to him, but his hand shot up and grabbed hers, pulling her onto the broom.

"It's alright," he said. "Just hold onto me and you'll be fine."

Ryan kicked off and Holly realized why Professor Potter wanted her silent. She was trying to scream as they flew higher and higher into the air. However, this wasn't like what had happened before. Ryan maneuvered the broom so decisively that some of Holly's fears had left her and her mind felt suddenly clear. They flew around the two sets of goal posts several times before Ryan turned back to look back her.

"Are you doing all right?" he asked.

Holly nodded, though wishing he would not ask her to move her head again. She never really understood the meaning of lack of balance and coordination until now.

"Keep holding on!" he advised and they began to fly faster. Holly gripped his robes tighter as they began to swerve, weaving through the goal posts and doing mini-dives in the air. She buried her face in the back Ryan's robes which he took as a signal for him to take her down to the ground.

She stumbled off the broom as the two dismounted, now feeling quite dizzy. Twenty feet away, Professor Potter pulled off his cloak and ran towards them. "Excellent!" he whispered breathlessly. "How was it, Holly? _Finite._"

Holly felt her voice return to her. "That was…fun," she breathed, trying not to look at Ryan who had just rested his broom on his shoulder.

"Would you like to try it again?" Ryan asked, a little amused.

"Maybe," she said, a bit surprised at her own response.

Professor Potter stuffed his cloak in his pocket and led the two students out of the Quidditch Pitch. "How about in two weeks?" he suggested to Holly. "Ryan, do you mind?"

"Sure thing, Professor," Ryan responded.

"Holly?"

"Yeah," Holly answered. "That's fine."

The first year walked silently back up to the castle while Professor Potter and Ryan talked about the latest Quidditch stats. The three entered the Great Hall and thankfully, Filch was not present. Yet, the teacher urged his two students to return to their dorm quickly before they ran into Filch along the way. Holly followed Ryan as they turned off at the third floor while Professor Potter went another direction. She wished that they would continue to walk in silence, but Ryan turned around to talk to her.

"Are you a Muggle-born?"

Holly stopped in her tracks, shocked by the question. Seeing the look on her face, Ryan tried to double back. "I only meant that you…er…don't know much about Quidditch and riding brooms. I only wondered…"

"No," Holly answered simply, finding her voice once more. "I'm a half-blood."

"Oh," he said and looked away in embarrassment. "Well, I have nothing against Muggle-borns. I'm a Muggle-born myself, so I was just going to say…er…never mind."

Holly was about to ask what he was going to say when they arrived at the portrait to their common room. After giving the password, the two climbed through and Holly watched Ryan head towards the boys' dormitory.

"Miller!" Daniel yelled from across the room.

Holly spotted Daniel, Michael, and Cynthia sitting a table near the window. Although the three were supposed to be finishing their homework for History of Magic for the next morning, it was apparent as Holly approached that the twins had barely started. Instead, Michael was pointing out the window at the Quidditch Stadium in the distance where Holly had only been fifteen minutes before. "Was that you?" Michael asked.

"Yeah," Holly sighed, collapsing in one of the chairs.

"Who were you with?" Daniel interjected.

"The Gryffindor Seeker."

"Nice!" Michael said. "I bet he's a great flyer!"

Cynthia looked up from her essay for the first time since Holly sat down. "We'll find out on Saturday when Gryffindor plays Slytherin," she announced. "And I refuse to help you with your homework if you are going to play around."

The expression on the twins' faces fell as they returned their attention to their homework. Holly, who had already finished her essay, bid good night and climbed the spiraling staircase to her own dormitory. However, her mind wasn't on her homework or her even the next day. It was still sitting on the broomstick, floating in midair, and holding on to Ryan Mason…

* * *

The air was filled with excitement on the morning of the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. The Great Hall was filled with the loud chatter from all of houses as each tried to speculate what would happen. Even Cynthia couldn't help putting down her books and notes and joining with the Daniel and Michael about the odds of their team winning. 

"Gryffindor is going to win for sure," Michael claimed, hitting his fist on the table.

Cynthia looked more skeptical. "Slytherin is supposed to have a great keeper. How can they win if they don't score?"

"Our seeker is one of the best! Trained by Professor Potter himself!" Daniel claimed.

And so they went on. Holly sat listening while she finished her corn flakes, amused by their arguing, though not saying a word. It wasn't that she didn't want add in her thoughts, but that she did not want her thoughts to reveal what she was really thinking. Ever since she collapsed on her bed after her flying lesson, she couldn't keep him out of her mind. When did it start? When he rescued her? When she woke up in the hospital wing to see him next to her bed? And then that night as she turned scarlet beneath the cloak…

"Someone's quiet," Michael commented at Holly's glassy look. "Aren't you excited for the match?"

"Of course," Holly said quickly pushing away her corn flakes. "What time is it?"

"Nearly time," Cynthia remarked. "We have about fifteen minutes before the game starts."

Just as Cynthia was speaking, the sixth year, Arnold, stood up and called for his team to head towards the field. Holly's heart stopped for a moment as she saw Ryan stand up at the other end. He was wearing his scarlet robes and holding his broom over his shoulder, just as she had seen him the other night. As he passed, he spotted her and smiled.

"Good luck!" she called to him suddenly, her face turning red again.

Ryan waved to her. "Thanks!"

Holly's eyes followed him out of the Great Hall which did not go unnoticed by her three friends. The twins exchanged mysterious grins as their red-headed friend turned around.

"What?" she asked innocently, her face still glowing.

Cynthia turned away, hiding a smirk in her glass of orange juice as it spilled down her robes. Michael began to laugh and received a sharp jab in the stomach from Daniel, though the latter couldn't help grinning, either. Holly, unaware that she was grinning from ear to ear, tried to act confused.

"What are you guys smiling about?" she asked.

"Nothing," Daniel said which made Michael snort.

Holly looked suspiciously at Cynthia, who was still attempting to drink her orange juice. "Is there something wrong, Cynthia? Do I have jelly on my face?" Holly asked, looking to her female friend for support.

"No, no," Cynthia coughed. "Nothing. We have ten minutes. Should we go early and get good seats?" she asked suddenly, standing up from her seat.

"Yes!" the twins said in unison, standing up and following Cynthia out of the Great Hall.

Holly trailed after them, almost running to catch up. The four first years were one of the first to arrive and got seats in the front row. A few minutes after they sat down, a distant rumble told them that the rest of the school was coming. Butterflies fluttered around in Holly stomach, part because this was the first Quidditch game she had ever been to and part because in a few minutes, she would be seeing Ryan again.

At eleven, the Gryffindor team came marching out of the locker room on one side of the stadium while the Slytherin team wearing green robes appeared at the other end. The entire stadium roared (and hissed) in support of their team. Holly immediately spotted Ryan walking onto the field last, the smallest of the team.

"…_for Gryffindor the line-up is Carson, (Cassandra) Arnold, Wilcox, O'Neil, Park, Mason, and their captain, Louis Arnold! On the other end is the Slytherin team with their players Lee, Ainsworth, Berkeley, Pennant, Osborn, Morgan, and their captain, Bradley Ackerman!"_

The two captains on the field shook hands and Madam Hunt, who was refereeing this match, blew the whistle. Four balls were released and fourteen blurry shapes shot through the air making it hard for Holly to determine who was who.

"_It's Gryffindor with the Quaffle! Louis Arnold darts past Lee and Berkeley. Going for the goal! GRYFFINDOR SCORES!"_

Everyone around Holly began to scream like mad, a tidal wave of sound vibrating in her ears. But the sounds courageous and as the game progressed, Holly found herself screaming like mad with all of the other fans as Gryffindor scored three more times to make the score 30-0.

"So this is like football?" Holly remarked to Cynthia as they watched Slytherin gain possession of the Quaffle. One of the Gryffindor Beaters hit a bludger which hit Vincent Lee in the shoulder causing him to drop the Quaffle.

Cynthia cheered as a Gryffindor Chaser, Cassandra Arnold, caught the Quaffle and headed for the Slytherin goals. "What?" she said in confusion. "What's football?"

"Never mind!" Holly shouted as Gryffindor scored again.

The game went on, Slytherin finally scoring twice to make the game 40-20. Gryffindor gained the Quaffle once more but was slammed into by the Slytherin Seeker causing Madam Hunt to blow her whistle. "FOUL! Penalty shot for Gryffindor!"

Arnold took the shot, but the Slytherin keeper managed to make a spectacular swerve and saved it. Slytherin was in possession of the Quaffle and scored three more times, bringing up the score to 50-40 for Slytherin.

"_Gryffindor now in possession. Wilcox with the Quaffle! Arnold! Arnold! Arnold! Wilcox! Come on, Megan! GRYFFINDOR SCORES!" _

A large, scarlet and green object flew past Holly, missing her by inches. She fell back onto the bench along with the rest of the first row as the object passed. Holly jumped back on her feet to see what had passed and saw the Gryffindor and Slytherin seekers bolting past. A tiny flitter of gold could be seen just beyond the Gryffindor goal.

"…_Mason and Pennant are neck and neck for the snitch! Ouch! A bludger hit by Slytherin Beater, Ainsworth, knocks Mason off course. It's all Pennant now! Oh no! Pennant has flown into the Gryffindor Keeper, Kieran Park! That must be painful."_

The crowd laughed as Pennant slammed into the Keeper in an attempt to catch the snitch. Park and Pennant did a double-take as both tried to regain their balance. However, both seekers had lost sight of the snitch, though Slytherin took advantage of the injured seeker and made three more excellent goals.

"Come on, Park! Get back in the game!" Louis Arnold shouted to his keeper as he took the Quaffle. With more determination, Arnold headed for the other end but was hit by a bludger and the Quaffle dropped.

"_Slytherin in possession! Ackerman heading for the Gryffindor goal! Oh, nicely aimed bludger by O'Neil knocks the Quaffle out of Ackerman's hands. Gryffindor in possession! Wilcox takes the Quaffle! Wilcox dodges a bludger! Nice, Megan! Just the keeper ahead! GO, MEGAN, GO! GRYFFINDOR SCORES!"_

Megan did a flip in the air before returning to the game and chasing one of the Slytherin Chasers. Slytherin was still in the lead, but Gryffindor was slowly gaining on them. As both teams' Chasers fought for the Quaffle, Holly's eyes left the game and followed the Seekers in their search from the snitch. The Slytherin Seeker, Owen Pennant, had been trailing Ryan for quite some time and the two were making impressive dives and swerves as Ryan attempted to get the Slytherin Seeker off his trail.

Half way through a dive, Ryan jerked his broom towards the Gryffindor side of the stadium. A few feet to her left, she saw the snitch fluttering around the stands. A few fifth years happened to be sitting right in front of the snitch and pointed at it wildly. However, Ryan didn't need their gestures to know where the snitch was. He darted through the chaos, diving and spinning, desperately trying to avoid two bludgers that were aimed at him. He was within twenty feet and gaining speed.

"…_Mason now ten feet away…five feet…MASON HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS THE MATCH!"_

Holly jumped in the air, screaming with the rest of her House, until a loud crash made her duck. While attempting to catch the Snitch, Ryan Mason could not keep himself from colliding head-first with the Gryffindor stands. Debris flew everywhere and two of the fifth years who were sitting in front of the snitch had been knocked to the ground.

Mason got up and helped the other two girls to their feet. Holly desperately wanted to go over and hug him, but Cynthia had already flung her arms around her and was dancing around in circles. Next thing Holly knew, Mason had jumped back on his broom and flew across the stadium towards his teammates leaving the Gryffindors and Holly to celebrate behind him.

"I want to play Quidditch," Holly said with determination as she, Cynthia, and the twins headed back up to their common room.

Daniel and Michael snorted, the latter patting Holly on the back. "You can't even fly!" Michael exclaimed.

"I am learning," Holly answered defensively.

"But not fast enough," Daniel added. "Or is it because a certain someone is on the team?"

Holly turned beat red and tried to hide as she straightened like cloak. "No," she tried to answer seriously. "I think it looks like fun."

"Well, then learn how to fly and then maybe you can try out for the time in a year or two," Cynthia advised.

If the excitement of the match wasn't enough, the party in the common room that night was fabulous! Fireworks were lit and zoomed across the room. There was butterbeer, sweets, and trick candy enough to make you not want to try anything anyone offered. Cynthia was sucking on a lollipop that turned her eyes different colors every few seconds. The twins both tried what looked like little cakes that made them breath fire for several minutes.

"Isn't this wonderful!" Cynthia said, resting her head against the back of her chair. It was nearing midnight, but that did not stop the party.

"Yes!" Holly answered, chewing on a gummy candy that tasted like honey. However, after chewing for a few minutes, the candy stuck her gums together and it was a couple of minutes before they were released. "What are these things?"

"Gummy Gums!" Daniel responded, taking a bite out of an éclair. "Our uncles invented them."

Holly was about to take another candy when Michael and Daniel dove to stop her. "Don't take that!" Michael warned her.

"That's the classic U-Know-Poo!" Daniel exclaimed. "You take one of those and you'll be in the bathroom for the rest of the night!"

The red-haired girl backed away and decided to take a lemon drop instead. "So what do we have next on the agenda?" she said good-naturedly, savoring the lemon taste.

"Next on the agenda?" Cynthia repeated.

"Halloween is tomorrow," Holly informed her. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, there is the Halloween feast, but if you want to be more festive than that…" Daniel said, his voice trailing off.

"We have some ideas," Michael finished for him.

At that point, the door to the common room opened and Professor Potter climbed through the portrait hole. "Alright, enough partying! Everyone to bed!"

The Gryffindor crowd grumbled and growled as students headed towards their dormitory. Food was cleared as one by one, students disappeared and the room became much emptier. Out of the corner of her eyes, Holly watched Ryan enter the staircase to the boys' dormitory followed by Daniel and Michael. However, Holly's eyes did not linger long. Her eyes were drooping, her stomach was full, and Cynthia was laughing merrily behind her. Maybe this was what her mother had been talking about when she had mentioned all of the fun times at Hogwarts…


	19. Chapter 16

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Chapter 16**_

**A/N: **This chapter was a bit hard to write, but I am very proud of it. Hopefully you will enjoy my Halloween festivities! And next you get to look forward to Christmas. Isn't that exciting? Thank you so much for the reviews! They were very encouraging and kept me writing. So again, thanks!

* * *

Holly woke up to the smell of pumpkin bread and spices. Soft snores could be heard from the other four beds and the lack of sound from the common room told her that most of the house was still sleeping. Holly felt a pang of hunger in her stomach that motivated her to get dressed and head for the Great Hall. 

As she opened the large doors to the Hall, Holly caught sight of the spectacular room and stood transfixed, staring at all of the decorations. Giant carved pumpkins lined the walls, lights within them casting shadows all over the room. Candles were floating above all of the tables, bats were flying around the room dropping candy in students' laps, and ghosts were gliding through the air making wailing noises that Holly suspected were to frighten students, though they sounded more like dying cats.

When she could finally tear her eyes off of the magnificent decorations, she walked towards the Gryffindor house table and sat across one of the students. She didn't realize who it was until she grabbed a piece of toast from one of the plates and looked up.

"Hi Ryan," she muttered, her face turning slightly red.

Ryan Mason looked up from his Arithmancy notes to smile at Holly. "Hey, how are you?" he asked casually as if she was an old friend.

"Good," she smiled, pulling out her Transfiguration notes. "Great catch yesterday. You did awesome."

The boy across from her didn't look up as he began to scribble something fast across the parchment. "Thanks," he mumbled. "Sorry to leave you, but I need to finish this essay for tomorrow. I'll see you later, Holly."

"See you," Holly replied and her eyes followed the boy out of the room, feeling slightly put out and disappointed. Just as his frame disappeared, the Weasley twins entered and nearly unsettled the table as they sat down next to Holly. "What's going on?" she asked, looking from one excited face to another.

Michael glanced back at the door and Holly's eyes followed his gaze. An irritable Filch was standing in the doorway looking frantically over the small crowd of students. It was obvious why and Holly tried to keep a straight face as Michael and Daniel ducked under the table. The caretaker was being attacked by five giant bats which were bewitched to follow him and aim their droppings on his head.

"You are in trouble this time," Holly muttered, turning back to her Transfiguration notes.

"Quiet! He'll hear you," Daniel hissed, peeking out from under the table. Filch was still standing at the doors, his face livid as he looked up and down the Gryffindor table.

"I thought you two liked living on the edge," she said innocently.

Daniel ducked back under and whispered, "We do, but we don't want to get expelled!"

"I'm afraid that's inevitable," Emma Sullivan said, sitting on the other side of the Daniel. "At your rate, you'll be expelled by your third year. You're just lucky McGonagall isn't here or you would be expelled sooner."

"McGonagall isn't here?" Michael asked, peeking from under the table once more to find that Filch had disappeared. Both twins got up from under the table and began to cram food into their mouths. "Where did she go?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Emma answered. "I just heard Professor Potter talking to Professor Laumie. She will be gone until tomorrow."

A look of victory appeared on the twins faces, making the two girls suspicious. "I'm going to be in the library," she announced, deciding that she wanted to part in their venture. "I've already been in trouble once. I don't want to know what you two are up to again."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Michael advised with a wink. "If you want to 'keep out of it,' I suggest keeping to the common rooms."

Holly and Emma exchanged confused looks before Holly got up, taking her notes with her and heading back to the common room. There she found Cynthia poring over a pile of books. "Why aren't you having breakfast?" Holly asked, setting her stuff next to her friend.

"Michael and Daniel, of course," Cynthia answered. "They advised I keep to the common room. I expect they are planning to blow up the school or something."

Holly rolled eyes and rested her head in her hands. "What? Do they expect to get away with it?"

Cynthia shrugged. "I guess so," she muttered.

Just as Holly sat down in her seat, a series of bangs caused the Gryffindor common room to shake, even sending a couple of first years onto the ground. Holly, who grabbed the table for support, looked around in alarm and met Cynthia's wide eyes as her friend tried to keep her ink from spilling.

"Honestly, I didn't think they were serious!" Cynthia exclaimed, hurrying after the rest of the class to see what the commotion was about. Holly poked her head through the mass of bodies only to be jerked back inside just as something large and orange rolled by accompanied with what sounded like a wailing banshee.

"BACK IN YOUR COMMON ROOMS!" a voice barked at them as more and more students tried to get a better look at the object. A wheezing McGonagall stopped just outside of the common room, clutching a stitch in her side and giving the Gryffindors a stern look. "I said back in your common rooms!" she snapped again and ran down another corridor.

"What was that? And I thought McGonagall was gone!" Holly asked to Cynthia, but instead of Cynthia standing behind her, it was Ryan. She began to turn red with embarrassment and looked around for her roommate. "Sorry, thought you were Cynthia."

"'S okay. Doesn't look like McGonagall is gone, does it?" he answered and followed a group without giving Holly another look.

"Was that what I think it was?" Cynthia asked, appearing at Holly's elbows. From the position she was in, it looked as if she had to crawl through the mass of people in order to get a view of what was happening.

Holly shook her head. "I don't know. What was it?"

A broad grin appeared on Cynthia's face and she began to snicker while the two made their way back their table. "It looked…it looked like Filch was being chased by a giant pumpkin!" she said through fits of laughter.

The red-headed first year doubled in laughter as the common room portrait opened and two first years snuck through it with identical grins. "Did you enjoy the show?" Daniel whispered, sitting down next to Holly.

"We didn't mean for it to grow that big, but Filch discovered us before we were done," Michael added. "Had to cover our tracks, you see."

Holly held her hand over her mouth to keep her laughter muffled. However, she need not bothered. Professor Potter came storming into the common room, a look of anger on his face that Holly had never seen before. His eyes shot towards the four of them in the corner of the common room and lingered there for a few moments before turning back to the rest of the students. "Pranks like these are _not _a laughing matter!" he scolded. "Whoever is responsible for this can be considered expelled!"

Behind her, Holly felt the twins try to hide behind her, yet her body mass was not sufficient to hide two eleven-year-olds so they were forced to stare at Professor Potter, pretending to look utterly confused. A moment passed by in silence in which their Head of House stood staring his students down, but a shriek from the other side of the wall caused him to dash out of the common room.

"I told you," Cynthia whispered to Holly.

"Told her what?" Michael asked, craning his neck around his twin to hear Cynthia.

"I told her you two were asking to be expelled. Just wait until they find out who did this," Cynthia said patiently, rummaging through her bag for a spare quill.

Daniel looked slightly ill. "Do you think he knows it was us?"

Holly looked around the common room and saw some students eyeing their group curiously. "Yes, I think so," she concluded aloud. "What were you thinking?"

"It was a little Halloween fun!" Michael said defensively.

Cynthia and Holly snorted and attempted to hide behind their homework. "Yes, 'fun' describes it alright," Cynthia laughed, shaking her head. "Professor McGonagall and Professor Potter were so excited to be chasing the giant pumpkin down the corridor. And Filch was having the time of his life!"

Before either twin could reply, the portrait hole opened once more and Professor McGonagall stepped through. Daniel and Michael started rummaging through their book bags, both attempting to look very distracted. "All students are to go to the Great Hall. _Immediately._"

Holly never realized how long the walk down to the Great Hall was until she was forced to follow the Headmistress down seven floors with the twins cowering at her side and Cynthia lecturing them from the side of her mouth.

"…and you are going to be expelled! Why did you do it? How do you think your parents are going to react when you come home on the train, not even for Christmas?" she whispered frantically.

"Cynthia, shut up," Daniel finally said once they reached the Entrance Hall.

Cynthia's lips pursed and she refused to look at them as they sat down in the Great Hall. Daniel and Michael didn't seem to have a problem with this, however, as they sat next to Holly with their heads facing the wall and not looking at Professor McGonagall. Students from the other three houses wandered in after the Gryffindors, a look of curiosity on their faces as they tried to figure out what the commotion was about. Once they were seated, Professor McGonagall stood up from her seat at the staff table to address them.

"Childish!" Professor McGonagall snapped. "Nine attacking bats, fourteen cursed cats, sixty-four exploding candles, twenty cursing suits of armor, and a rolling giant pumpkin. I have never heard of such pranks—such _behavior_ from students! Moderate holiday cheer is acceptable, but this raucous! Either those who are responsible come forth or face expulsion!"

Everyone in the room held their breath. Holly glanced at the twins, but only saw the tips of brown and red hair above the table. However, neither stood up as other students looked around the room curiously.

"No?" the Headmistress questioned, peering at the students. "Then risk facing the consequences. All student privileges are henceforth cancelled, there will not be a feast tonight, and Quidditch will be put on hold until someone comes forward. You are dismissed!"

The hall was filled with the banging of benches as hundreds of students got up from the four house tables and exited to the Entrance Hall, anger whispers echoing throughout the room. Holly and Cynthia seemed to have lost the twins on the way back to their dormitory, but it was probably for the better. Several other Gryffindors seemed to have picked up on the twin's guilt and were ready to curse them into oblivion. In fact, it was several hours after Holly and Cynthia resettled in front of their homework that Daniel and Michael showed up, climbing meekly through the portrait hole.

"Did you confess?" Cynthia interrogated as they approached the table.

Daniel shook his head. "Then where were you?" Holly asked.

"Walking," Michael shrugged.

"Well, thanks you to two, there isn't a feast tonight," Cynthia said coldly. "We'll be lucky if we get dinner."

"They have to feed you," Daniel argued, sitting down across from the two girls and pulling out _Beginner's Guide to Charms_. "They can cancel the feast, but they can't starve the students."

Cynthia glared. "Well, you might as well starve. The Quidditch teams aren't going to be happy with you. I won't be surprised if they slip poison into your pumpkin juice at dinner."

Yet she was surprised at dinner that evening when Daniel sprouted boils all over his face and Michael's arms grew so big that he could barely fit through the halls to the hospital wing. The news that the Weasley twins were responsible for the mess spread like wildfire and they became the target of all curses, jinxes, and hexes. Cynthia and Holly finally refused to be associated with them at all after a stray Body-Bind Curse hit Holly on their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts and Cynthia received a particularly nasty slug-vomiting charm that caused her to spend the rest of the day in the hospital wing. As the days wore on, more and more students became aggravated as they were restricted from everything from the grounds to roaming the corridors at night.

"Go away," Cynthia hissed at the twins as they bravely appeared in the common room one Saturday and sought her out at one of the tables. "I would really like to keep my dinner in my stomach if you know what I mean."

"Ah, come on, Cynth!" Michael begged. "We need your help!"

Holly looked up from her Astronomy homework. "Are you trying to make yourselves invisible again?" The twins exchanged dark looks. The week before, they had attempted to make themselves invisible in order to at least make it to class unscathed. Unfortunately for them, they did not perform the spell correctly and instead glowed yellow down the corridors which made them an easier target for eight more hexes and jinxes.

"No," Daniel answered coldly. "We have been thinking…we might go to McGonagall after all."

"Finally!" Cynthia said in exasperation. "Took you long enough!"

"I know. Three weeks," Holly added. "Why are you telling us this?"

Michael rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, you _are _our best friends…"

"_Were_ until Halloween," Cynthia corrected him.

"Oh, shut it. Don't you realize that we're miserable?" Daniel said in defeat. "This hasn't been the best three weeks of our lives."

Holly gave them a calculating look. "Remember when everyone was set against _me_ not too long ago? Now you might understand how I felt."

"But we don't want to fall from a broomstick in order to save our skins," Michael responded.

"No, but Betsy Doyle's fingernail-growing hex was quite magnificent," Holly said dreamily as if relishing the moment.

"Can't blame her, either," Cynthia commented. "You canceled the game between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff this next weekend. She's the captain for Ravenclaw's team."

Daniel rubbed his hands together furiously as if trying to prevent his nails from growing ever again. "Look, we know what we did was wrong," he began. "We would just really appreciate some support."

Holly and Cynthia exchanged looks. "And what does that entail?" Cynthia asked slowly.

"You two taking part of the blame," Michael answered quickly. "Will you do it?"

"EXCUSE ME?" Holly yelled causing some fifth years to glare at their corner.

"Oh no. Oh no we will not! I am not going to get pulled down just because you two were stupid enough to get yourselves expelled!" Cynthia added. "What kind of logic is this?"

Daniel bent toward, careful that no one else would overhear them. "Cynthia, you're one of the brightest students in the class and Professor Potter thinks very highly of Holly not to expel her. See, if they don't want to expel you, they won't expel us."

"Yes, they will," said Holly. "And Professor Potter won't save me from expulsion. He was not very impressed after that fake wand stunt."

"Please?" Daniel begged.

"No," both girls replied.

"Ugh!" Michael cried in frustration. "You don't even care if we get expelled?"

"I care," Holly answered quietly.

Cynthia turned on Holly. "You can't be serious?"

"I'm not giving in! I am just saying that I care if they were expelled. What would Hogwarts be without them?" the red-head argued.

"Right," Daniel agreed, patting Holly on the back. "That's why you need to come with us and support us."

"What?" Holly said, letting her red hair whip Daniel in the face. "Why would I do that?"

"At least come as our body guards!" Michael pitched. "We might not make it there if we don't have cover."

Cynthia coughed into her Transfiguration book, trying not to make eye contact. "Right and why would we do that?" she asked.

Ten minutes and five floors later, the four first years stood outside of Professor McGonagall's office. The twins both appeared to be quite relieved though were looking anxiously around them in case other students decided to walk by and curse them underneath the Headmistress' nose. Cynthia, on the other hand, did not hesitate to voice her annoyance that Daniel and Michael needed two girls to guard them down five flights of stairs.

"I honestly don't know why you need us so much," Cynthia grumbled once again. "You seem perfectly capable of taking care of yourselves."

Holly inspected the gargoyles that guarded the door, ignoring Cynthia's comments. "How are you supposed to get in?" she inquired of the other three.

"Look! It's the Weasley twins!"

The four first years turned to see three Hufflepuff sixth years marching towards them, each brandishing a wand that was pointed directly at them. Cynthia hid herself behind the twins who were in turn using Holly as a shield. "Well well, it's the boys who ruined Quidditch," one of them jeered.

The girl on the left snickered, still holding out her wand. "What shall we do to them, Corey?" she questioned the boy next to her.

"You wouldn't!" Cynthia gasped.

Corey pointed at his chest where a black and yellow badge stating "Captain" was pinned. "We were supposed to have a match next Saturday, but it was canceled thanks to you lot!"

"It's not our fault!" Holly squeaked. "Cynthia and I didn't do anything!"

The boy on the other side of Corey laughed. "Except hang out with _them._"

"A good Stinging Hex ought to get the message across," Corey suggested. The three raised their wands threateningly while the other three first years ran for it. However, Holly was glued to the spot, bracing herself for the attack. However, before the incantation was finished, a loud grinding sound filled her ears and a sharp voice shout, "Hanson! What are you doing- _are you hexing a first year?"_

Opening her eyes half way, Holly saw Professor McGonagall standing between her and the three sixth years, all three which had dropped their wands at the sight of the Headmistress. "Ten points from Hufflepuff! It will be detention next time, Hanson, and I don't care if your team cannot practice. No, don't argue. Back to your common room."

Holly was still frozen at the spot when Professor McGonagall turned around and remembered that she was still standing there. "Yes, Miss Miller?"

The first year turned around to look for the other three but no one was behind her. It was just her and the Headmistress standing in the middle of the corridor. "N-Nothing," Holly stuttered and turned around and ran before Professor McGonagall could ask why she had been standing in front of her office. Halfway up the staircase to the fifth floor, she ran into the twins who were eagerly waiting for her return.

"I'm going to kill you!" she shouted at them. "You left me there!"

"What did you want us to do? Get hexed?" Daniel retorted defensively, his face chalk-white.

Cynthia appeared at the bottom of the staircase, out of breath and red in the face. "Did you get hit?" she asked Holly, a look of genuine concern on her face.

"No," the red-head replied. "McGonagall came just in time."

"Lucky," the twins muttered together.

"You two need to go to McGonagall. _Now_," Cynthia emphasized. "I am not going to risk my life for you anymore."

Michael's jaw dropped. "Why not?"

Cynthia grabbed Holly's arm and pulled her the rest of the way up the staircase. "Because I would like to live to see my twelfth birthday and if you don't go soon, you _will _be expelled. How would your parents feel when they see you appear on their doorstep a month early?"

Holly only saw Daniel turn scarlet before she and Cynthia turned down a corridor and continued on their journey to the common room. They did not say anything until they reached the portrait hole, but neither had to in order to understand what the other was thinking. Instead of settling down and studying, Holly climbed up the stairs to her empty dormitory and settled down on her four-poster bed intent on writing to her mother. It was an hour before she heard Cynthia's footsteps on the spiral staircase.

"Gits," she muttered. "Why do they always have to drag us down with them?"

The red-head shrugged, dropping her quill as she finished signing a three-foot long letter. "I don't know," Holly answered with a hint of frustration. "I have never been in so much trouble until I got here. Why do you think that is?"

Cynthia looked calculating at Holly. "You've never been in trouble?" she asked curiously. "What kind of student were you?"

"A good one, I suppose," Holly replied, getting up to face Cynthia. "I was top of my class and had quite a few friends. I have never felt so socially rejected and intellectually inept until I came here."

"Maybe that's why," said Cynthia thoughtfully. "You must be really frustrated not being so used to this."

"Well, yes."

Cynthia grinned mysteriously. "I think I've found our answer."

Holly looked confused. "Our answer to what?" But before Holly had finished her question, Cynthia had already disappeared out of the room with stomping of her feet echoing as she ran down the staircase. "Oh, come back. That's not fair!" Holly shouted and followed Cynthia out of the dormitory and out of the common room.

The brown-haired first year did not answer the list of questions that her roommate bombarded her with as they roamed the castle. "It's late," Holly muttered. "We're supposed to be back in our common rooms in five minutes."

"Never mind that," Cynthia muttered, opening up every empty classroom she could find. At the very end of the Transfiguration corridor, sitting in an empty classroom, Cynthia found the twins huddled together over a book.

"That's illegal," one muttered.

"Yeah, but it'll work, wont' it?"

"Not if we get expelled."

"Ah, but what if it works?"

"What if we get expelled?"

"What if you can avoid getting expelled _and _using an illegal spell?" Cynthia posed the question.

The twins whipped around, their wands out and pointing at the intruders. "Oh, it's you two," Michael said. "What are you doing here? Are you sure you want to be in our presence?"

Cynthia smiled, looking at the sullen looks on the boys' faces. "Well, if you don't want help…"

"You've made it quite plain that you don't want to help," Daniel pointed out.

"Ah," said Cynthia, holding a finger up. "That was until I thought of a plan that might keep you from being expelled."

The twins looked hopeful. "What is it?" Michael asked eagerly.

"We need to talk to Professor Potter," Cynthia said.

"No!" Daniel cried. "He'll tell our mum and dad!"

"So?"

"They'll murder us," Michael added darkly.

Cynthia bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing. "Are you trying to tell me that you'll cause chaos here but only if your parents don't know? Surely they would find out at some point."

Daniel rubbed the back of his neck as if recalling a painful memory. "Yeah, well see, we promised Dad that we wouldn't do anything…destructive, you know?"

"And Professor Potter knows this, of course?"

"Well, yeah," Daniel said in exasperation. "Professor Potter is my dad's best mate!"

"Then he won't want to see the pair of you expelled, will he?" Holly spoke up, catching on to Cynthia's theory.

"He wouldn't want it, but he would have to," Michael said tentatively. "He's our Head of House. Professor McGonagall made it quite plain that we'll be expelled."

"She did," Cynthia agreed. "But it's up to your Head of House, isn't it? Trust me. We need to talk to him." Cynthia jumped up from the desk she was sitting on and motioned them to follow her out of the room. It was a short walk to Professor Potter's office on the fifth floor, but when they knocked, there was no answer.

"Great," Holly muttered. "It's past eight-thirty, too. We were supposed to be back in our common room ten minutes ago."

Cynthia knocked again, but still there was only silence. "Where could he have gone?"

"Anywhere," Daniel answered. "It's Saturday night. Who wants to spend their Saturday night with a bunch of adolescents?"

"Look who it is," a voice wheezed from the other end of the corridor. The group spun around to see Filch limping quickly toward them. "Four first years out after hours! No regard for rules, I see. Think you're above them, eh?"

Cynthia tried to sound normal, but her voice was oddly high-pitched. "We want to talk to Professor Potter about something important."

"Important enough to break rules? I don't think so," Filch sneered. "That'll be detention for all of you."

"What's going on, Argus?" a familiar voice asked from behind the first years.

Filch looked up at Professor Potter who was accompanied by Professor Laumie. "Students out after hours," he muttered. "Claim they came to see you, but a pile of dung that is."

"Well, they _are _in front of my office," Professor Potter pointed out. "Could it be that they are telling the truth?"

The caretaker shot Professor Potter a filthy look. "They're still breaking the rules, Professor," he answered. "And that's still grounds for-"

"I'll take care of it, Argus," Professor Potter interrupted. "And I'll be sure they return to their common room."

With a huff, the caretaker stalked off in the other direction. Professor Laumie bid Professor Potter a good night, leaving the four first years and their Head of House alone. The latter opened the door to his office and motioned for the four to enter.

"What can I do for you?" he finally asked after hanging up his cloak and settling down behind his desk.

The twins looked imploringly at Cynthia, their faces white as chalk. "We…er…well, _they_ need to tell you something," Cynthia stated pointing at the twins.

"Yes?" Professor Potter asked, a little amused.

Daniel shot Cynthia a dark look before he turned to the teacher. "Sir, it was us who caused the mayhem back on Halloween," he admitted, his eyes staring down at his shoes.

"Really," the professor answered casually, then added, "it's about time."

The four first years looked up at their teacher, shock and confusion written on their faces. "You knew it was us?" Michael asked incredulously.

Professor Potter merely smiled. "Of course. And I know where you learned those amazing pieces of spell work, too. You forget that I grew up with your uncles, Fred and George."

The twins still sat speechless, but Holly still had breath to speak. "So they won't be expelled?" she asked hopefully.

"That, I can't say," Professor Potter stated. "You've gone on for three weeks. Professor McGonagall thought you would confess sooner."

"She knows, too?" Michael said weakly.

"Oh yes," the teacher answered. "She is a very gifted witch, but you should not underestimate her."

"So, what will happen next?" Daniel asked slowly.

Professor Potter shifted in his chair. "That is a good question. To start with, you two will have detention for the rest of the week. However, I will appeal to the Headmistress about your expulsion, though I do think that fifty points from Gryffindor for your prank is reasonable." The twins looked rather gleeful. "I want you to listen, though. What you did was funny enough and while I encourage creative magic, there will be the day when someone gets hurt and you will have to live with that. Understand?"

The twins nodded, though Holly wasn't sure they really understood. "Good," Professor Potter responded. "Tomorrow night at six in my office. You are excused."

Cynthia and Holly exchanged knowing looks as they left the office, the twins practically skipping ahead of them. Both knew that Professor Potter's words had not affected either one as the teacher had hoped, especially since both were chanting something that sounded like, "We are great! We are awesome! We have managed to escape expulsion!"

"It's not funny," Holly finally told them. "You could have been expelled."

"But we weren't," Michael countered.

"You might be if you keep this up," Cynthia inserted. "And next time, I might not be there to help you out."

Daniel stopped and stared at her. "You didn't do anything!"

Cynthia and Holly snickered as they came to stand in front of the Fat Lady. "Icklebob," Cynthia said and the portrait opened to reveal the common room behind it. "Of course I didn't have to. I was right, though, wasn't I? Professor Potter wouldn't expel you."

Michael and Daniel shrugged grudgingly. "We're going to bed," Daniel announced.

"After all, we have detention tomorrow," Michael added as he followed his twin up the steps to the boys' dormitory.

Holly watched the two disappear before she turned around to face Cynthia who had fallen into a chair by the fireplace. "So, how did you know?"

The brown-haired girl looked mischievous. "Did you honestly think that they would be expelled for such a petty crime?" she laughed.

The red-head had a questioning look as she sat down across from her. "I wondered. Professor McGonagall seemed really upset."

"Yes, I wondered, too. Then you were telling me how frustrated you were about getting into so much trouble, you know? Well, Professor Potter wasn't an angel when he was in school. He got in loads of trouble and I bet Professor McGonagall has seen much worse than a giant rolling pumpkin. If other students haven't been expelled for their ridiculous activities, I knew the twins would not get treated any differently," Cynthia concluded.

"And if you were wrong?" Holly asked.

"They're trying to scare them," Cynthia finally said. "Remember? _'Come forth or face expulsion.'_ If they confessed, they wouldn't face expulsion, would they? But if they thought that this was their last chance, they won't be likely to do it again. And didn't Emma overhear Professor Potter telling Professor Laumie that McGonagall was gone? She wasn't, though. It almost sounds staged."

"Perhaps," Holly murmured. "You make it sound simple."

"I don't think we thought too much of it before because we were so angry at the twins. But now that I think about it, it makes sense," said Cynthia. "I should have realized all along. How stupid are we?"

Yes, perhaps it was the lateness of the hour or the fact that the two had such a long day that they began to laugh at their own stupidity and wondered how they ever managed to be sorted into Gryffindor. When the clock struck ten o'clock, they both decided to turn in, feeling rather relieved and hopeful that this would finally put a lid on the twins' unintentional desire to make their lives miserable.


	20. Chapter 17

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Chapter 17**_

**A/N: **Here is the next chapter! It has taken a while, but it will be worth the wait. After this, I have several assignments and then finals to finish and then I will be able to write more during December. Let me know what you think and thank you to those who reviewed! You encouraged me to keep writing this chapter and because of you, here it is!

* * *

The few weeks before Christmas were the quietest that Holly had endured in the four months that she attended Hogwarts. The twins had decided to put a temporary stop to their pranks, Ravenclaw flattened Hufflepuff in their game ("Serves them right!" Daniel had proclaimed), and Holly's lessons with Professor Potter were going very well. By the last week of the term, she was mastering new spells with much more ease. However, there was one thing that she missed about the new peace that had settled over the school. Quidditch had started up again and Holly no longer saw Ryan Mason in the common room. 

Holly had to remind herself each day that he didn't matter, but each day it became more and more of an obsession, one that was very hard to control. It was during one of those days that she sat by the window and stared out at the Quidditch Pitch on the other side of the grounds, hoping to see Ryan's distant form, when the twins settled down in front of her.

"So, Holly," Daniel began, "plans for Christmas?"

The red-head looked up startled, her cheeks flushing at being caught staring out the window. She thought for a moment of Daniel's question and then shook her head. "Well, I always spend the day with my father's family, but it sounds like my grandparents are going to be in Paris over Christmas. My uncle lives there."

"Well, you and Cynthia are invited for Christmas dinner with our family," Daniel offered.

Holly looked interested. "Really?"

Michael beamed. "Yep! So what do you say?"

"I have to ask my mum," Holly said after a moment of thinking it over.

"Likely excuse," Daniel said and then called over his shoulder at the brown-haired girl sitting at a table behind them. "And Cynthia, what about you?"

"What about what?" she said tiredly.

"Christmas with us!"

Cynthia smiled sadly. "I'd love to, but we're spending it with some relatives."

"Relatives? Can't you get away?" Michael asked.

The brown-haired girl shook her head. "Not in my family. Thanks for the invitation, though."

The twins turned back to Holly, slightly disappointed. "Well, anyways, we're actually having Christmas at our grandparents' house. It's called 'The Burrow.' A few of my uncles are going to be there, though Uncle Charlie said he couldn't get away from work and Uncle Percy is in Toyko, but the rest of the family will be there."

Holly listened enviously, but her mind wandered back to her mum. What _would _her mum say? She couldn't imagine her mum spending Christmas alone, especially when it was Holly's twelfth birthday and her grandparents would be in France. "I don't know," she finally answered, averting her eyes back to the Quidditch field. The maroon dots that had been shooting around the stadium in blurred lines were now gone, leaving Holly to stare at the falling snow.

"Ah, come on, Holly," Michael begged. "You have to come."

"But my mum would be alone," Holly confessed, "and it's my birthday."

"Really?" Daniel said excitedly. "You didn't tell us your birthday was on Christmas! We ought to have a party!"

Cynthia raised her eyebrows and shook her head. "You are so insensitive."

"Am not!" Daniel returned defensively. "What's so insensitive about wanting to throw Holly a party?"

"Well, her mother is going to spend Christmas by herself, on the day Holly was born and her husband had died, and all you can think about is throwing a party for Holly? That's a bit rude, don't you think?" Cynthia said matter-of-factly.

"Your dad died on your birthday?" Michael turned to Holly. "That has to be the worst luck ever!"

Holly stared back coolly. "Yes well, thanks but no thanks," she told the twins, feeling slightly offended at their response. "Cynthia's right. I should spend the day with my widowed mum." She stood up and left the three by the window and headed towards the portrait hole. Outside of the common room, she walked carelessly around the corridors, not wanting to go anywhere, but not wanting to go back to her dormitory where she was sure to get bombarded with apologies. The fact was that they were right. She had always felt obligated to spend Christmas with her mother, but what about herself? When was she, Holly, going to ever do what she wanted for Christmas?

"Hey," a voice called to her as she rounded a corner on the fourth floor. Ryan Mason popped out from behind a portrait and was walking quickly to her.

Holly could feel her cheeks burn as he stopped a few feet away. "Oh, hi," she mumbled. "Quidditch practice?"

Ryan surveyed his wet and muddy robes and smiled. "How can you tell?" he joked. "I heard you were invited to the Weasleys' for Christmas."

"Oh yes, I was," Holly said, trying not to act surprised that he knew this.

"Are you going?"

"Oh well, I don't know," she said casually. "I have to ask my mom and…well…it's my birthday, so I don't…"

Ryan raised his eyebrows. "Really? You were born on Christmas? That must be quite a day for you!"

Holly looked down at her toes and surveyed her feet. "Yes, it is," she said.

"Well, I was just wondering. Arnold Weasley invited me. He's George Weasley's son. We've been good friends for a long time. The Weasleys always throw great parties and they are very respectable family," Ryan informed her. "I hope to see you there." He gave a small wave before turning around and disappearing around another corridor.

It was a few minutes before Holly was able to move. When she did, all she could think about was going to the party. Ryan had been invited! Not only that, but he knew she had been invited, too, and was looking forward to seeing her there. She had to go. Her mum had to let her.

* * *

"Holly! Holly!" 

The red-head had barely stepped off the train when she spotted a blonde-haired woman waiting at her from across the station. With a grin on her face, she made her way through the crowds of parents to her own. "You don't need to make a scene, Mum," Holly told her, though welcoming her mother's embrace.

Ginny kissed her daughter on the head. "What? Am I not allowed to call out to my daughter now?" she questioned. "How is school? You've hardly written."

"Good," Holly replied. "Oh, I need to ask you something…"

"Mrs. Miller!" a voice behind them interrupted.

The two turned around to see Daniel and Michael walking towards them, their parents and younger sister following behind. Holly recognized the brown-haired woman as Mrs. Weasley, whom she had met a couple months before. The red-haired man who followed her resembled the three children and Holly guessed that this was Daniel and Michael's father. He was looking intently at Ginny as though trying to pin point where he had first met her.

"Mrs. Miller," Mrs. Weasley said cordially. "Nice to see you again."

"Nice to see you, too," Ginny answered, gripping her daughter's shoulder. Holly looked up at her mother. Was it her imagination, or did she look nervous?

Mrs. Weasley turned to Holly. "My boys were wondering if you would like to join us for Christmas," she invited.

"Oh, it's alright, Mrs. Weasley," Ginny answered for Holly. "We already have plans."

"Mum!" Holly cried.

"What?" Ginny turned on her.

"I want to go," Holly pleaded. "Why can't I go?"

Ginny gave her daughter a stern look. "We have plans."

Mrs. Weasley waved her hand aside. "Oh, it's alright," she said. "I don't want to interrupt anything."

"And what about me? Where do I get my say?" Holly retorted stubbornly.

Meeting her daughter's eyes with a warning expression, Ginny answered, "Because we already have plans for your birthday."

"But I want to go to the Weasleys," Holly said defiantly, crossing her arms. The two stared at each other, mirroring the other's angry, stubborn expression. "Let me choose what I want to do for a change."

The words worked like magic. Ginny leaned away from Holly to look at her daughter squarely. Holly, however, stood her ground. With pursed lips, Ginny turned to Mrs. Weasley. "Fine. Where is it?"

The Weasley family looked rather embarrassed at the confrontation. "It's alright," Mrs. Weasley reassured her quickly. "If you don't feel that Holly should go…"

"No, no," Ginny protested, though with a hint of annoyance. "She wants to go."

"It's at the Burrow," Mrs. Weasley said slowly. "I'm sure you know how to get there."

Ginny nodded and looked away towards the exit. "Yes, I'm sure we'll make it on time. Let's go, Holly."

Holly, who was rather surprised with her mother, waved at the twins. "See you, then," she said before turning away and following her mum out of the station. They did not get far when the two heard someone running behind them.

"Mrs. Miller, wait!"

Ginny turned around to find Hermione standing before them slightly out of breath. "What?" Ginny said coldly, much to her daughter's surprise.

"I'm sorry, Ginny," Hermione apologized. "The boys wanted me to ask. Holly doesn't have to go."

Holly looked up at her mother, too shocked that this woman knew her mother's name to protest her statement. What was going on? Ginny stepped closer to Hermione and talked quietly to prevent being overheard. "You promised not tell anyone," she hissed.

Hermione looked slightly taken aback. "I didn't…"

"Then what was Ron staring at me for?" Ginny questioned.

"Well, you did tell him his sister was dead," Hermione returned. "He doesn't know, though. No one does except you and me. Why are you so paranoid?"

Ginny looked grim. "I'm not. I'm just not ready to tell anyone."

Hermione gave her a dark look and crossed her arms. "Well, you need to. This hiding business is getting ridiculous."

Before Ginny could respond, Ron appeared at her side with the three children in tow. "Thank you, again, Mrs. Weasley for the invitation," Ginny said with a grimace. "She will see you on Christmas, then."

Leaving the Weasley family still standing in the middle of King's Cross station, Ginny led Holly out to the car. Neither spoke as they crossed the sreet into the parking lot and Holly didn't know what to expect. Would her mother yell at her display of defiance? Would she ground her for the entire Christmas break? And what was the whispering about?

As Holly shut her door, she turned to her mum. "Mum, I'm sorry, but-"

Ginny shook her head, but her voice was tense. "Not right now."

"I know, but-"

"Don't."

Holly threw her head against the seat. "Why do you have to be like this? I'm sorry!"

"I know, but you don't understand!" Ginny exclaimed, but then added with a sigh, "And you're right. You should be able choose what you want to do on your birthday."

"Really?" Holly said in surprise. "What about you?"

"Don't worry about me," Ginny said, turning on the engine to the car. "I do have friends to keep me company. Oh, and when you get home, you're grounded."

Holly smiled as they pulled out of the station. Some things never change.

* * *

Christmas Day came faster than Holly had anticipated. Before she knew it, it was Christmas Eve and she was packing for her stay at the Burrow. According to the letter Mrs. Weasley had sent her a few days earlier she would be staying until the day after Christmas when Mrs. Weasley would drop her off back home. Holly sat her room, constantly turning her attention back to the letter, unable to believe that she was really going to visit her friends. 

"Holly? Are you all packed?" Ginny said, peering into her daughter's room.

Holly shoved her wand in her bag and zipped it close. "I think I have everything. You know where the Burrow is?"

"I think we can find it," Ginny assured her.

"Are you going to be ok?" Holly asked her mother slowly.

A pained look flashed over Ginny's face, but was immediately hidden behind a smile. "I'll be fine. There is plenty to do on Christmas and I can always use the opportunity to reconnect with some friends."

"Really?" Holly said, looking guilty. "Sounds like a plan."

"Yes," Ginny contemplated, "it will certainly be a nice day."

Holly thought for a moment. "I don't have to go-"

"Of course you do," Ginny told her daughter, settling herself at the end of Holly's bed. "It's your birthday. I often forget how fast you are growing up." She ran a hand through her daughter's red hair, trying to concentrate on the smooth texture instead of the small pain in her chest.

Holly put down her bag and embraced her mum. "Thank you," she whispered.

* * *

The following morning seemed like a whirlwind to Ginny. It felt like she had barely fallen asleep when she heard Holly pounding on the door, calling for her mother to wake up. Rolling off of the bed, she stumbled through her room and into the living room where she collapsed on the sofa. Her head ached and her heart felt unusually heavy, but none of this she wanted to reveal to her daughter. "Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday," she greeted. 

"Merry Christmas to you, too, and thank you," Holly said joyfully. "Are you going to open gifts?"

Ginny rotated her head and stared at the miniature tree they had placed in their living room and the small pile of gifts that lay unopened next to it. "In a minute," she answered, picking herself up and stretching her arm muscles. "I'm going to make coffee."

"Can't you just use magic to make the coffee?" Holly inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"I could," Ginny considered, "but what fun would that be?"

Holly shook her head and opened a medium-sized wrapped gift from Cynthia. Inside was a box of chocolate frogs and a shield hat. _"In case someone decides to hex you because your friends ruined the Halloween and cancelled Quidditch Games,"_ the note read. Another rather lumpy package revealed a pale blue knitted scarf from her Grandma and Grandpa Miller and Uncle Jake sent several classic novels in French. The last gift for her under the tree was the one from her mother, but she didn't want to open it quite yet. Instead, she stood up and walked into the kitchen where she watched her mother prepare breakfast.

"I thought you were just going to make coffee," Holly asked.

Ginny held up a spatula and proclaimed, "My excellent cooking skills got the best of me."

Holly laughed. "You know they _are_ expecting me around noon today. I shouldn't be late."

"I know."

The red-head waited tentatively for her mother to say more, but when Ginny did not, she went on. "Yeah, we're going to have Christmas dinner outside in their backyard near the garden. The twins say their grandmother is an excellent cook."

"I'm sure she is," Ginny answered quietly.

"Do you know how we're going to get there?" Holly asked.

"Apparition."

"Apparition?" the red-head said in surprise. "I didn't know you could apparate!"

Ginny studied her daughter's expression. "Of course I can," she said slowly. "Now enough talk, you need to eat before you go anywhere today. I don't want my daughter passing out in the middle of a Christmas party."

Holly was still marveling over her mother's magical abilities when a plate of eggs and bacon were set in front of her and she sat down at the table to eat. Breakfast was a slow process. Ginny sat across from her with a plate, but did not touch it. Instead, the mother pretended to become deeply interested in an article about the illegal dragon hide sales until the tinkling of silverware announced that that breakfast was over.

"Have you unwrapped all of your gifts?" Ginny asked, grabbing her daughter's plate and putting it in the sink.

The red-head shook her head, getting up. "Not the one from you. I'm wanted to open it in front of you."

Feeling a little surprised, Ginny followed her daughter into the living room and the two sat down in front of the collection of gifts. Ginny hadn't thought of the gifts that she would receive this Christmas, perhaps because she didn't get many and the people who still give her gifts always send the same thing—books, socks, and scarves. Sure enough, when she opened her first gift, there was a lumpy, brown scarf that Pam had made her. In another package from her employer was a pair of Christmas socks that she would never wear and lastly, there was a set of books from her brother-in-law who didn't seem to remember that, unlike her daughter, Ginny hardly ever read.

Holly studied her mother's expression as she opened each gift and the mock surprise that she showed before she set aside each gift to prepare for the next one. The last one she took was from her daughter. The gold wrapped box was small and thin and Ginny couldn't imagine what gift would be that small. She delicately opened the wrapping, careful not to tear the paper, and slid the box out. Lifting the lid, she found lying on a soft pad of cotton was a gold locket attached to a necklace.

"Holly!" Ginny breathed. "It's beautiful!"

"Open it, Mum," Holly encouraged, unable to hide the grin on her face.

With a click, the locket opened to reveal a picture of the mother and daughter that had been taken earlier in the summer. Ginny's hair was still flaming red and Holly's was a pale yellow, quite the contrast to what they are now. "Thank you," Ginny said softly, wiping her eyes. "Oh, you haven't opened my gift!" She reached forward under the tree and handed her daughter the wrapped box.

The red-head was less careful with the paper as it shred, but this did not seem to bother Ginny as the box was opened and Holly pulled out a crystal vial from the paper. The young girl examined the vial the contents of the vial for several minutes before saying anything.

"What is it?" Holly asked with a puzzled expression.

Ginny took a deep breath. "They're memories."

"Memories?"

"My memories."

Holly gave the bottled a flabbergasted look. "_Your _memories?"

"Yes, we've already established that."

The red-head stared at her mother quizzically. "Why would you give me your memories? Aren't these…well, yours? And what happens if you need them? Are you going to ask for them back?"

Ginny laughed at her daughter's nonplussed expression. "I don't need them anymore, no," she reassured her. "They're memories of your father."

Whether it was Holly's imagination or the fact that the sun was just peeking from behind a puff of cloud, but Holly swore the vial was beginning to glow and felt warm in her hands. Yet, she still didn't understand. How could these grayish swirls of material be memories? And if they were, how could she use them?

"I want you to hold onto them for now, Holly," her mother instructed her. "There will be a day when you will have questions about him and if I can't be there to answer them, then I want you to at least know what he was really like."

Holly nodded her head solemnly and tucked the vial in the pocket of her sweater. She still wasn't quite certain the purpose of this gift, but knew enough not to question her mother's motives. When she returned to her room later while her mother was getting dressed, she took out the vial and placed it in at the bottom of her trunk, wrapped in two socks to make sure it would not be damaged. She closed the lid and locked the case, never intending to think about the vial again.

Back in the living room, she met her mother who was now dressed for the weather and looking more presentable. The sun had disappeared again and the clouds were already threatening snow. "Are you sure you aren't forgetting anything? Tooth brush? Underwear? Jacket?" Ginny questioned.

The red-head rolled her eyes. "I have everything," Holly declared, holding up her bag. "Even my wand."

"Good," her mother said. "Alright, hold onto my arm. This is going to be a little tight, but you should be fine."

Holly was about to ask her mother what that meant when she felt herself suddenly suffocated, speeding quickly through an invisible tube that pressed on her from all sides. She shut her eyes and gripped her mother's arm tighter. Was this apparating? Had something gone wrong? She felt a slight pain in her left hand and just when she thought she could not endure the strain on her lungs anymore, the tube seemed to open and released the pair onto the ground.

"Ugh, what happened?" Holly said dizzily, still holding onto her mother's arm for support. She glanced at her hand, which was throbbing in pain, and her face became chalk white. Her left thumb just happened to be missing the thumbnail and was gushing out blood that quickly soaked the sleeve of her sweater. "Mum!" she screamed, holding out her hand.

Ginny's face was equally white as she surveyed her daughter's hand. "I am so sorry, Holly!" she cried, tapping the thumb with her wand. The area stopped bleeding and a layer of skin promptly started growing over the place where the thumbnail once was.

"My thumb," Holly said sadly, examining the stubby place which had once been a beautiful thumb. "What happened?"

"It got splinched," Ginny told her. "You'll be alright, though. Your nail should grow back in a few days."

"Days?" Holly whimpered.

Ginny picked up some of the snow off of the ground and handed it to Holly to keep on her thumb. While the latter was trying to numb the pain, Ginny took the opportunity to look around her surroundings. The hill they were now standing on was very familiar as she had once used a Portkey from this very spot to get to the Quidditch World Cup the summer before her third year. The Burrow, she knew, was just beyond the small town of Ottery St. Catchpole.

"Where are we?" Holly asked, attempting to read her mother's mind.

"Stoatshead Hill!" Ginny said brightly. "It's just a short hike from here. The Burrow is on the other side of that town." She pointed to the distant buildings and the river where the town was located.

Holly scrunched her nose. "Why couldn't we just Floo there?"

"There are going to be many guests, Holly," Ginny told her. "I don't want to crash into anyone and risk losing you in another fireplace. No, even with a splinch, this will be easier."

The younger girl could hardly believe that this was an easier option, but chose not to comment as her mother began to hike down the hill, sliding and stumbling on the hard snow. The short hike, it turned out, was much longer than either had an anticipated. Ginny couldn't remember it ever taking this long, though the last time she had hiked this trail she had been thirteen and she had other, more distracting individuals to keep her company. After what seemed like several hours (which in fact, was just over one), they turned onto the road that led them to the Burrow.

To Ginny, there could not have been a brighter, yet depressing place. Even at a distance, she could make out the small house that had been her childhood home. The windows were glowing, smoke was rising from the chimney, and even at a mile away, Ginny swore she could hear the chattering that was going on inside the walls. It was nerve-racking just being here, walking down this road. What if someone recognized her? No, that could not happen. No one but Hermione knew and it had taken her several days to figure it out. Yet, that still didn't seem to sooth Ginny's nerves. There was a feeling in the pit of her stomach to turn back and if it wasn't for Holly, she would have turned around right there and left.

Ginny knocked on the door and stood back as an older red-haired man with horn-rimmed glasses answered. Despite some differences in appearance, Ginny recognized her father's cheery face. "Merry Christmas!" he greeted them. "Come in, please! Molly, we have two more guests!"

A curious, round face appeared around the corner of the kitchen to see who it was. "Oh, hello!" the witch called to them. "New guests! Fred, is this the girl you were talking about?

Another red-haired wizard entered the room followed by his identical twin. He only glanced at Ginny for a moment before declaring, "No, that must be Bill's guest. She's too pretty to be Ron's."

Ginny flushed at her brother's comment, but corrected him, "Hermione invited us. Her boys are friends with my daughter, Holly."

"Oh!" the older witch exclaimed, coming over to get a good look at Ginny. "Are you Mrs. Miller?"

"I am," Ginny answered suspiciously.

"Hermione told me about you," the woman went on. "I'm Molly Weasley. You knew my daughter, Ginny."

There was an awkward silence for a moment in which Ginny did not know what to say. What had Hermione told her mother? Did her mother think she was dead? Had she seen the picture? "I did, yes," she finally answered slowly.

The expression on the older witch's face suddenly became sad and pulled at Ginny's heart. "I really appreciate the news you have given us," Mrs. Weasley thanked her. "We have been worried for so long. It was good to finally be able to know what happened to our daughter."

Ginny averted her eyes away from her mothers. She did not know how much more she could endure of this and was saved by the appearance of Hermione from the living room. "Jennifer!" Hermione called to her. "I'm so glad you could be here!"

Hermione welcomed Ginny with a warm embrace which was returned stiffly. "Jennifer?" she whispered in the brown-haired woman's ear.

Hermione only shrugged in reply before turning to address Holly. "Oh, Holly, the boys are out in the backyard. They should not be hard to find," Hermione told the younger girl. Holly did not hesitate to leave the awkward scene, leaving the adults behind to talk.

"Your friend is charming, Hermione," the older witch said. "I am so glad you could come for Christmas. It will be quite a party this year!"

"Oh, I'm not staying," Ginny informed her. "I just came to drop off Holly-"

Mrs. Weasley looked startled. "You're not staying? But you must! I have only heard great things about you!"

"But I have made other plans…"

"Jennifer, you must stay," Hermione begged. "Holly told the boys that you were going to be alone this Christmas. It would be wonderful if you would join us."

"I agree," Mrs. Weasley interjected. "I will not take no for an answer! You simply must stay!"

Ginny very much wanted to curse Hermione into oblivion, but in the presence of her mother and such persistence, she gave in. "If you insist," Ginny said finally, giving up.

Hermione beamed and Mrs. Weasley cried in joy. "Well, with one more on the table, I will need to make some extra rolls! Arthur, will you help me with the potatoes?"

The two older adults exited the room, leaving Hermione and Ginny quite alone. "I didn't want to stay," Ginny said through gritted teeth. "Do you know what kind of torture it is to be here?"

"Seeing as I didn't run away and then declare myself dead, then no, I don't know," Hermione said in a low voice.

"Hermione, where are you? I'm about to kill your queen," a voice called from the living room.

The brown-haired woman grabbed Ginny's arm. "At least enjoy yourself," she advised as she pulled Ginny into the living room.

There were several witches and wizards sitting around the large living room. It was much bigger than Ginny could remember, though she suspected magic had something to do with the increase in space. In the far corner, Ron was seated at a table and sitting on the couch just besides him was Harry who was reading an article in _Quidditch Quarterly_.

"Look who decided to join us!" Hermione announced to her husband and best friend. "Jenny, you've already met Harry Potter and this is my husband, Ron Weasley."

Ginny gave a small wave, though not wanting to meet either of their eyes. "Hello," she said nervously.

"Come here, Jenny," Hermione said, sitting down at the table across from Ron. "You can come watch me get slaughtered."

Feeling there was no way out of the situation she sat down in a chair besides the pair and surveyed the game. It was obvious even before Ginny could really get a good look at the board that Hermione was losing. Hermione was never good at these games and Ginny suspected that she was only doing this to please Ron.

"So, Harry? No date this Christmas?" Hermione asked him.

Harry looked up from his magazine. "No," he answered.

"What happened to Christine?"

"She wasn't a date," Harry answered. "She was just an acquaintance from the Ministry."

Hermione gave Ginny a sly grin. "He's still single, if you want to know," she whispered to Ginny.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Stop trying to set him up, Hermione," he told his wife. "You'd think after the last one didn't work out, you would have given up."

"He needs to date someone!" Hermione said defensively. "He can't be lonely all of his life."

Harry shook his head. "Then you don't know me, Hermione."

"Well, I haven't dated, either, since my husband died twelve years ago," Ginny declared.

Hermione and Ron looked surprised. "Twelve years?" Ron said flabbergasted.

Ginny waved off the comment. "I have three jobs and a daughter to take care of. I don't have much time left for dating."

Harry nodded, opening the magazine again. "See, Hermione?" he pointed out. "I'm not the only single individual out there who isn't dating."

"And what's your excuse?" Ginny blurted. She honestly wished she hadn't said anything when she saw the surprised look on Harry's face.

"I am a teacher," Harry answered, eying Ginny closely. "My job runs all day every day. It's hard to date when one person is gone for most of the year."

Hermione seemed to sense the tenseness in Harry's voice and quickly changed the subject. Yet, this did not lessen the anxiety that Ginny was feeling just being in the situation. It was like being sent back in time, fifteen years before, when the four had spent Christmas together at the Burrow and had been sitting in that exact spot chatting about what their jobs and their future. It had been just after Harry had defeated Voldemort and he was going in to Auror training. Ginny had felt sure that Harry had come that Christmas just to see her. How wrong and disappointed she had been then and even now. Still, after fifteen years, he had not changed. His excuse was the same: he was too involved in his work for him to find a partner.

"Tell me about your daughter, Jenny," Hermione requested. "She looks nothing like you."

Ginny did a double take. "Excuse me?"

Hermione leaned back in her chair. "She must take after her father, then."

"No," Ginny replied. "Her father had black hair. She was actually a blonde until your brother-in-law changed it."

"I remember that," Harry inserted. "I think George put a permanent spell on her. We couldn't change the color back or even to another color. This will make it difficult for her to take her OWLs in Transfiguration if her hair can't change."

"Well, that explains that," Hermione said disappointedly. "You've been a single mother since Holly was born?"

"Yes," Ginny replied icily.

"How did you do it?"

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "With help."

"Hermione, she doesn't want to talk about her personal life," Ron informed his wife. "Can't we talk about another subject? Quidditch?"

Hermione glared at Ron. "Men," she muttered. Ginny, however, was grateful for the opportunity to change topics. It was unfair of Hermione to take advantage of her awkwardness by interrogating her. The next few hours were quite uneventful besides the comings and goings of various individuals. Ginny did not stay in the living for long and found herself wandering through the house and into the backyard.

A large tent was erected just next to the garden, warm and full of smell of food. Just beyond the tent, a group of children were gathered around the frozen pond. One of the many redheads was attempting to ice skate across. Ginny only watched long enough to see the child slip and fall on the ice before she turned around and took the backdoor into the kitchen.

Mrs. Weasley was busy basting several turkeys and did not take any notice that Ginny had entered. It was apparent by the path made through the kitchen that this was the way people seemed to have traveled in order to get to the backyard, though most of the adults were now settled in the living room. Assuming that her missing presence would go unnoticed, Ginny slipped past the living room and climbed up the stairs to the silent floors above.

Opening random doors along the way, Ginny saw that much had changed since she had last been there. Most of the rooms were now furnished for guests instead of for her brothers and even the attic was organized which Ginny found amazing compared to the shape the rest of the house was in. Pictures of the Weasley family lined the walls; pictures of infants, toddlers, Hogwarts students, weddings, grandchildren, and everything that must have happened since the Weasley family came to live at the Burrow. Yet, everything felt very foreign to Ginny. Nothing was the same as was it was twelve years ago…unless…

Back on the first floor, just before the stairs, Ginny spotted the room that she intentionally skipped on her way through the house. She nervously shook the handle, but found that the room was locked. "Odd," she muttered, pulling out her wand. Why was this room the only room locked? "Alohomora."

The door clicked open and Ginny stepped inside. Her nostrils were instantly filled with dust and mold, causing her to gag as she lit her wand to view the room. There was no doubt to why it was locked. Unlike the others, this room still contained the frilly, pink bed, the posters of the Holyhead Harpies, pictures of the Weird Sisters, the desk in front of the window, pictures of her at Hogwarts, and even her school trunk that was sitting at the end of the bed. It was obvious that this room was hardly ever used by the amount of dust in the air and covering the furniture, though some places looked disturbed. There were creases in her bed as if someone had sat on it and the contents that used to be nicely organized in her desk were now strewn across the surface.

"Just like it was before," a voice said in the doorway.

Ginny didn't bother to turn around. "I can't believe everything is still here. Nothing has changed!"

"Your mother has been saving it," Hermione said slowly. "She has always hoped that you would come back one day."

"How can she? She thinks I'm dead!" Ginny exclaimed, glancing over at Hermione's form.

Hermione sighed in reply. "She might think that, but I really doubt that she believes it. Part of her must still have some hope if she's so determined to keep this room locked up."

Ginny didn't reply, but continued to stare through the window at the distant orchard. She did not move until a bell echoed through the house to announce that dinner was ready. Silently, Ginny followed Hermione back through the house, shutting the door to the room behind her.

Inside the tent, two long tables were covered with food. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley stood at the far end of the right table where their places were set and everyone took seats down the table from them. Ginny found herself across from Hermione, Ron, and Harry, though between an older woman with graying hair who was scolding her green-haired grandson and a warlock that Ginny recognized from the ministry.

"It's Christmas, Teddy," the older woman was saying, "can't you do something nice with your hair?" The boy, who looked no older than seventeen, just rolled his eyes and offered his grandmother a roll.

Just as Ginny was spooning mashed potatoes onto her plate, she spotted her daughter walk into the tent surrounded by a crowd of other children. Holly spotted her mother at the table and darted for her. "I thought you were going home!" Holly exclaimed.

"I was, but I was convinced to stay," Ginny responded. She looked at her daughter's shocked face and noticed her eye was bruising and blood was dripping from her bottom lip. "What happened to you?"

Holly looked slightly embarrassed. "I fell," she stated.

"A fall caused that much damage?" Ginny asked skeptically.

"I…er…fell on the ice," Holly said uneasily.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Is there more to the story that you are not telling me?"

"Er…yes," the red-head confessed.

Waving her hand at her daughter, she turned back towards the table. "Alright, then, tell me when we get home. I suppose I don't want to know right now."

Holly gratefully left her mother and took a seat at other end of the second table with a few of her friends. Ginny didn't bother to look back at her daughter. As long as she was having a good time, there was no need to make a fuss. For a long time, the clicking of utensils and low chattering was the only sound in the tent. Ginny savored each bite of her food and did not pay attention to the conversations around her. She couldn't remember the last time she had tasted food this good.

Darkness covered the world outside of the tent and people were beginning to finish their dinner. With full tummies and empty plates, the chatter began to rise in the tent and firewhiskey was passed around among the adults. Ginny only had a small taste while other adults were filling their goblets full. Much to everyone's surprise, Hermione was among these individuals.

"You know, Ron, we have much to be thankful for," the bushy-haired woman said to her husband, her cheeks slightly red. "We have a good house, a good family, careers, and everything."

Ron raised his glass to Hermione's statement and added a "Here, here."

"I'm thankful that my wife has such wonderful cooking skills," Mr. Weasley said to the crowd, receiving a kiss from Mrs. Weasley for the compliment.

"I'm thankful that we are all still here to enjoy this holiday together," another adult added which was answered by clapping. Many other individuals spoke, thanking other individuals for good deeds they have done, their families, socks, and one individual even gave thanks for Mr. Weasley getting him out of trouble with the law.

Just as one individual was thanking his wife for not having to spend Christmas with his in-laws, Hermione stood up and raised her glass which was once again full of firewhiskey. "You know what else I'm thankful for?" she said to the crowd. "That this young lady could join us today." Her finger pointed straight at Ginny who looked alarmed.

"I don't know what you mean," Ginny said quickly.

"Of course you do, Jenny. Or I mean, Ginny. You know those names sound so much alike," Hermione told her.

The room suddenly became quiet. Everyone was staring between Ginny and Hermione, the blonde woman looking incredulous while Hermione just glared. Mrs. Weasley, who could sense the tension in the crowd, quickly ran to Hermione. "Hermione, dear, perhaps you've had too much to drink," the older woman said, taking the goblet out of her hands and setting it on the table.

"I haven't had too much to drink," Hermione slurred, pulling out her wand. "Look? See?" With a short wave, before Ginny knew what was happening, a gold beam of light hit Ginny squarely in the chest. An odd tingling starting with the top of her head traveled down her body. She didn't need a mirror to know what was happening as the gasps around her told her exactly what Hermione had done. The secret was out.

Ginny stood up, not knowing what she was going to do, but feeling a sudden desire to run. She wanted to get away before she was forced to look at the expression on her family's faces. She couldn't look at her brothers as they lunged forward to rescue their mother who had fainted or her stunned father at the head of the table who was still holding his glass up. She followed her instinct and ran halfway down the drive before she heard loud footsteps calling her name. A hand grabbed her robes, pulling her around. It was Ron.

"GINNY?" he cried. "You're supposed to be dead!"

"Let me go!" Ginny shouted, grabbing Ron's hand and pulling at it.

"YOU LIED TO US!" Ron bellowed.

Ginny punched her brother in the stomach. "Let me go," she said dangerously. Ron released her, though Ginny did not go anywhere. A crowd was quickly coming their way, but she did not want to fight. She wanted to get out of here. She knew she shouldn't have agreed to stay. "I'm sorry, I really am," she told Ron. "I had to do it, though."

"What did you do?" Ron whispered.

"Ask your wife," Ginny said bitterly. "She seems to know everything, doesn't she?"

The crowd of people was moving closer. Pulling out her wand, Ginny spun on the spot and the scene before her disappeared in a small crack. Her body was compressed into the cold air around her until it opened up into a warm room. She was back at her flat, yet she realized that this was no longer a safe place for her. Her hiding spots were slowly unraveling and yet she was bound here. Both Hermione and Harry would be able to tell where she was and even her daughter was still at the Burrow. Ginny stood frozen in the middle of the living room. Fear and panic still pounded through her head and heart, but another voice was breaking into the chaos.

"_Stay where you are,"_ the voice said. The voice was so confident and comforting that Ginny obeyed it. It brought relief, yet some unusual assurance that she would be alright. She collapsed onto the couch, not wanting to relive the event that just occurred, yet finding herself unable to think of anything else. The look on Ron's face will forever be engrained in her memory.


	21. Chapter 18

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Chapter 18**_

**A/N: **Here is the next chapter that I'm sure all of you are eagerly waiting for. A big thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! The support was incredible and it was because of you that I was motivated to get this out before Christmas (alright, maybe that's exaggerating). Please do review!

* * *

Hermione woke up with a headache the next morning. She sat up in bed, rubbing her throbbing temple, and wondering how she got there when the last thing she remembered was laughing and drinking with Ron and Harry the night before. Just as she began to think something was wrong with her, the door opened with a creak and Ron tip-toed inside. 

"Oh, you're awake," he said, stopping in front of the bed and looking down at his wife. "How are you?"

"I have a headache," she groaned, falling back into the pillows. "What time is it?"

"Nearly noon."

Hermione jumped up. "What?" she cried. "How did that happen?"

"You passed out at dinner after drinking four goblets of firewhiskey and exposing my sister," Ron answered evenly. "You have been asleep ever since."

For a moment, Hermione thought she must have misheard her husband. Yet, after reading the dejected expression on his face, she knew this to be true. Ron would never lie to her with that kind of an appearance. "Where is Ginny now?"

Ron shrugged and instantly massaged a spot on his side. "I don't know. She disapparated."

Hermione bounded off the bed and pulled robes out of her clothes bag. "No one went after her?" she cried. "She can be anywhere! Who knows where she went? We need to go find her!" Hermione darted for the door, but Ron stopped her before she could leave.

"It might not be a good idea to go downstairs right now, Hermione."

She froze on the spot, halfway through getting her sweater over her head. "Why?" she asked hesitantly.

"Hermione, sit down for a moment," Ron told her.

"Ron, just tell me why!" Hermione shouted.

Ron sighed. "Fine, but don't get angry with me."

"Just tell me!"

"Everyone is furious with you!" Ron exclaimed. "My parents are beside themselves in shock and my brothers are holding you responsible for the mess. They think you have always known about Ginny and that you have been helping her hide from the family. I can't even defend you because I don't know what is going on!"

"I haven't been hiding her!" Hermione declared.

Ron looked glum. "I didn't think you would; the least you would have done was tell me." His words were more of an accusation than a statement.

"I wanted to tell you, I did-"

"How long have you known?" Ron interrupted her.

Hermione bit her lip. "Two months."

"And you weren't going to tell me?" Ron said in a hurt tone.

"I promised her I wouldn't tell anyone, Ron!"

Ron gave a grunt. "Not even your husband?"

Tears filled in his wife's eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

The red-haired man turned around and headed for the door. "Explain that to my family," Ron said over his shoulder. He opened the door and let it slam shut behind him.

Hermione hid her face in her hands, but the desire to cry had passed though she was now stunned at how this situation with Ginny had exploded in her face. This was the reason she had wanted Ginny to tell them before. If only Ginny had not made her promise…if only Ginny had been brave enough to go to her parents herself…if only Hermione hadn't been so stupid as to keep that promise…so many if's and none of them able to get rid of the miserable feeling in her stomach.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Come in," she said automatically.

The door opened to reveal green eyes and untidy black hair which looked even more disheveled than ever. "I saw Ron coming down the stairs," Harry stated. "I thought you might be awake."

"Have you come to yell at me, too?" Hermione asked with a tone of bitterness.

Harry shook his head. "We have more important matters on our hands than arguing about who should be blamed for a grown woman's selfish mistakes."

"You aren't angry?" Hermione said meekly.

"She is not my sister," Harry answered. "Besides, she's an adult and she's old enough to take responsibility for her own actions. What I am concerned about is the welfare of another red-headed little girl."

"Holly!" Hermione exclaimed. "She's still here?"

Harry nodded. "And she needs to go home today, too. Only you and I know where she lives."

The expression on Harry's face was plain: he did not want to be that person to take Holly home and Hermione couldn't blame him. If it hadn't been for her, this would never have happened. "I'll take her," she volunteered. "I should talk to her."

"I talked with Arthur and he thinks that might be a bad idea," Harry responded. "We think she's going to run again."

Hermione looked slightly confused. "How do you come to that conclusion? We have her daughter."

Harry nodded and added, "We do and we know where she lives. But it wouldn't be hard for her to disappear again. She's made herself dead for twelve years. I'm sure she can do it again, though with Holly that might be difficult."

The brown-haired witch bit her tongue in thought. "So what should we do? We can't keep Holly here."

"No," Harry agreed with a heavy sigh. "Arthur thinks I should take her home. She is probably upset right now and if you came waltzing up to her apartment with her daughter, she will be more apt to kill you before she disappears again."

"But you don't want to," Hermione pointed out.

"I don't," Harry admitted. "I've had enough of the games, frankly, but I would do it for Holly. This isn't her fault."

The two stared at each other before Hermione nodded in defeat. "This is rubbish," she said irritably. "Why do we even have to deal with this?"

Harry merely shrugged with a dark look on his face. "Because someone never learned that their decisions might hurt other people," he said bitterly. "Look, I need to go. The sooner I can get this done, the better." And with that, he left the room and slammed the door behind him.

* * *

It was a shot of pain running down her arm that finally woke up Ginny at her flat. When she cracked one of her brown eyes open, it was to realize that she was still on the couch where she had flung herself the night before and she had been laying on top of her left arm all night causing the blood supply to her arm to be cut off. However, she was afraid to move. Any individual who has ever had a limb fall asleep understood the stabbing pain of releasing the limb from its misery. 

Then there was a knock on the door, sharp and echoing through the house. Forgetting the pain for a slight moment, Ginny jumped up from the couch only to release the blood supply and replace her numbness with a thousand stabbing knives. She was so taken back by the sudden surge of pain that she did not see the coffee table in front of her and jammed her baby toe right into it.

BANG!

"AH!" she cried in pain, now reaching down to hold her foot.

There was another sharp knock on the door.

"I'm coming!" Ginny yelled. Standing up, she had no other choice but to limp to the door and open it. She nearly fell over when she met the figure standing in the door way. "Harry."

The raven-haired man looked coldly at the witch before him, though his expression turned to concern when he saw her holding her foot. "Are you all right?" he asked, indicating her odd position.

"Stubbed my toe," Ginny mumbled. "What do you want?"

The wizard's expression whipped back into its cool demeanor and he crossed his arms to add to the stern affect. "I've come to bring Holly home," he answered sharply. The twelve-year-old red-head peeked her head around her professor's cloak where she had been hiding for the last few moments.

"There you are," her mother stated. "Did you have a good time?"

The younger girl beamed, coming around to meet her mother. "It was a lot of fun," she replied. "I hope I can go again next year!" Holly moved passed Ginny and went to her room, leaving her mother and teacher alone in an awkward silence.

"Well, thank you for bringing her home," Ginny said, trying to avoid the confrontation that she knew was inevitable. She was standing before him, red-haired and freckled face, and acting as if this was perfectly normal.

Harry bit his bottom lip, trying to make something of the situation. This was not how he expected to be talking to Ginny Weasley. She was neither cold nor angry and she hadn't begun threatening him yet. "So, why did you leave?" he blurted out.

Ginny took a step back, though more for reflection and space than because the question was unexpected. "I thought that was obvious," she said calmly.

"Obvious? What is obvious about it?" Harry demanded.

The other witch brought out her left hand which had finally resumed its normal composure. "Well, let's see," she began, counting off her fingers. "I ran away with a Muggle, lied to my parents, lied to my brothers, lied to you, got pregnant, became a widow and decided I hated my life. There! Now you know. Anything else I can help you with?"

Harry stood stiffly, trying to make sense what was going on. "And you didn't care what happened to the people you left behind?" he asked incredibly.

The witch pursed her lips only for a second before responding in a low voice. "I do care about the people I left behind. I cared enough to spare them the agony of realizing that all I am is a cheater, a liar, and a fake. Wouldn't you rather off believe I was dead than to think that I was ever capable of being such a…such a…." Her voice trailed off, not wanting to say it. Even though she had done many things, putting a label on herself would be making it real and true to her nature.

The raven-haired wizard stood silently, his expression unreadable. When he spoke, it was in a tone full of disappointment. "I think you were right after all. The Ginny Weasley that I knew died twelve years ago. I don't know who you are."

Before Ginny could say another word, Harry had disappeared on the spot. She mulled the words in her mind, trying to understand what he had been saying. The Ginny Weasley that he knew? Who in the world was she? Was she the girl that sat at home, knitted mittens with her mother, and let everyone else determine her life? Was she the girl that was supposed to wait patiently for her true love to finally set her free? What soap opera was she living in?

Then it hit her. Somewhere between the ache in her leg and the ache in her head, she came to a significant understanding of what was going on. She had not been running away from her family. Was she really afraid of her family? She was a Weasley. She had energy, fire, and enough wit to take on whatever her family threw at her. Was she afraid of breaking Harry's heart? Well, that was debatable. Once upon a time, she had loved Harry. Yet, she was only human and a human can only take pain for so long before they are forced to lose hope. What in the world was she afraid of?

Herself, she determined. The essence of the legacy that had followed her around since the day she was born. The delicate flower that everyone seemed to think she was. The little child her family was determined to keep safe away from danger. She hated the protectiveness, the lack of independence, their behavior…how many times did she have to show them that she could take of herself?

"Mum, are you alright?" Holly asked from the hallway.

Ginny looked around. She was still standing in front of the door, staring at the spot where Harry Potter had disappeared from. She didn't realize she had been standing in the doorway for the full five minutes since he had left. "Fine, fine," she said cheerfully. "So, how did your visit go?"

* * *

"How did it go?" 

That was the first question that echoed in his ears when Harry Potter entered the Weasleys' kitchen. Hermione was sitting at the table across from Mrs. Weasley, both women sipping tea. The rest of the house was quiet and Harry could only assume that the Weasley men were out.

"Fine," he said, shutting the door behind him.

Hermione looked astonished. "No hexes? No threats? You just dropped off Holly easily just like that?" she said, though only half seriously.

Mrs. Weasley, too, was looking anxious. "What happened, Harry?"

"I really don't know," Harry admitted. "Where is everyone?"

"Out," Hermione answered promptly. "They…um…have to deal with another mess."

Harry looked confused. "On Boxing Day?"

Hermione bit her bottom lip and nodded. She shifted her arms to cover the Daily Prophet from beneath her. Harry took immediate notice of this and held out his hand. "Let me see it."

"You really don't want to," Hermione told him. "It's not…pleasant."

"Let him see it, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley ordered.

Realizing there was no way out of it, Hermione handed over the copy of the morning paper with hesitation. Harry quickly took it out of her hands and studied the front page. It was a picture of Harry and Ginny from their sixth year with a title beneath it.

BEST FRIEND HIDES POTTER'S LONG LOST LOVE.

_On December 25__th__, Ginevra Weasley, who had been declared dead five years ago, was revealed to be attending the Weasleys' annual Christmas Party. The young woman had taken on blonde hair and claimed herself to be 'Jennifer Miller' before later being exposed as none other than the Weasleys' own daughter. This came as a surprise and a shock to many guests at the Weasleys' home, except for one witch. Hermione Granger had proudly announced the identity of the otherwise unfamiliar guest after dinner. As the wizarding world knows, Granger is best friends with the famous boy-who-lived, Harry Potter._

_It has been made known that Harry Potter and Ginevra Weasley have been in love since they first set eyes on each other in school. Potter had eyes for no one but the young Weasley and proclaimed his intent to marry her. This came as a blow to another of Potter's admirer's, his own best friend, Granger. Granger had been jealous of Weasley since her fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and even prevented Potter and Weasley from being together while Potter was fighting Voldemort. _

_When the trio came back from the war, Granger could not keep the two away from each other. She attempted to catch Potter's attention by marrying their mutual best friend and less well-known mate, Ronald Weasley Still not catching her love, she kidnapped Weasley, who then was carrying Potter's child, and reconfigured her memory so that the young woman would not remember who she was. For twelve years, Granger has kept Weasley and her daughter hidden from the wizarding world._

_A truth serum dropped into her whiskey finally revealed the story on Christmas night. The Ministry officials are now investigating the matter and several charges of kidnapping and illegal spells are being held against Granger. Though Potter was unavailable for questioning, on behalf of the Daily Prophet we could like to celebrate with Potter on his discovery of his long lost love and child._

By the time Harry was done reading the article, he didn't know whether to be angry with the article or laugh out loud at the stupidity of the story. When he finally responded, it was with a sarcastic grunt. "I can't believe you, Hermione," he declared. "If you really loved me, you should have told me ages ago."

Hermione's facial features relaxed. "You know I couldn't tell you, Harry," she responded. "I was too busy cheating on my husband and kidnapping Ginny."

Harry chuckled, though Mrs. Weasley did not join in. "Is everyone else at the Ministry?" Harry asked the older woman.

"Yes," Mrs. Weasley said icily. "Arthur is trying to clear up the charges against Hermione, as if she would do such a thing!" The older woman stood up and headed for the backdoor.

"Where are you going, Molly?" Hermione called after her mother-in-law.

"To the garden," the Weasley matriarch replied. "I need to think."

Harry and Hermione exchanged worried looks. "What were you two talking about before I came in?" Harry asked, sitting down next to Hermione and allowing the bushy-haired woman to conjure him a cup of tea.

"Ginny," Hermione told him tentatively. "I told her everything. She understands now, though I think it will be a long time before she forgives me."

The raven-haired wizard nodded his head and fixed his green-eyes on the swirling contents of his tea. "You didn't tell me," Hermione began, "what happened with Ginny this morning?"

"I don't know," Harry repeated. "I knocked on the door. She answered. She was pleased to see Holly. I asked her why she left. She admitted to everything. Then…I left. I expected her to murder me, quite honestly. But she was normal; very casual about everything. I don't understand women."

Hermione thought for a moment. "Well, what else is she to do?"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked with a baffled look on his face.

"Now that her secret's out, what is she going to do?" Hermione repeated. "She can't take Holly out of Hogwarts. She can't really hide herself again because we will easily recognize her with her daughter. She is also aware that I know her mother-in-law. You want to know what happened? I think she finally gave up."

Harry had a blank expression on his face, as if he words merely bounced off of his forehead. "I'll leave it to you. What she did was unforgivable," he finally said and stood up from the table. "I'm going to pay a visit to the Ministry. I will see you tomorrow night."

He waved a good-bye before exiting the kitchen. The freezing air felt good against his numb skin. He needed something to do. He needed someone to be angry at. For the last seventeen hours, he felt as though his thoughts and feelings had emptied from his brain. Of all things to expect, this was the last. And yet, he didn't want to think. Instead, he turned on the spot and disappeared, intending on giving the Editor of the Daily Prophet a reason to stop living.

* * *

The days following were some of the best that Ginny could remember. She did not bother to change her hair back to the blond color she had succumbed to. Instead, she resorted to keeping the red-hair that now emphasized the resemblance between her and Holly. The younger girl was also more cheerful than Ginny had seen her since she left for Hogwarts back in September. Holly did not put up a fight when Ginny asked her to do chores around the flat and was even polite at some points. Neither discussed what happened at Christmas, but from what Ginny could assume by this new Holly, her daughter knew exactly what had happened. 

"I have all of my stuff packed," Holly announced the night before she was to return to Hogwarts. "What time do we need to leave tomorrow?"

Ginny looked up from her magazine to examine the clock as if it would magically tell her the answer. "Ten o'clock. That should give us plenty of time."

"Alright," Holly said to herself. "Do you think we'll see the Weasleys on the platform?"

"I'm sure we will," the mother answered, putting down her magazine on the coffee table. Ginny understood where Holly was going with this conversation and though she was not quite ready to discuss this with her daughter, recent events prevented her from avoiding the topic. "Come here," she said, patting the cushion next to her.

Holly obeyed her mother and took the cue that her mother wanted to talk about what had happened. "So, are you going to talk to them?"

"I don't know," Ginny answered truthfully, giving her daughter a serious look. "I don't know what they think of me. I have been so stupid, you know."

"They thought you were dead," Holly remarked. "Daniel told me a long time ago. I didn't know you were his aunt, though, until I saw the picture of you in the Trophy Room. You never told me you played Quidditch."

Ginny was taken aback by how much her daughter knew about her. "Really?" she said unbelievably. "When was this?"

"Weeks ago," the young witch admitted. "Well, I didn't really _know_ it was you. Professor Potter said it wasn't, but the resemblance was too uncanny for it not to be you. Your team won the House Cup."

The mother studied her daughter, wondering what other things Holly knew. "Yes, our team won the House Cup twice. I played seeker both times. Harry Potter always managed to find a way to get banned from the game."

"You played Quidditch with Professor Potter?"

Ginny nodded. "I told you I knew him, remember? He was a great Quidditch player."

"Oh," Holly answered. "Then why is he so angry with you?"

"Who isn't?" Ginny responded with a laugh. "He is friends with my brother," she went on to explain. "I can imagine my brother is not too happy right now."

"Tell me about your family," Holly requested.

Ginny studied her daughter's eager expression. "Alright," her mother answered tentatively. "Where should I begin?"

Holly looked thoughtful for a moment. "Your brothers," she decided. "I met Uncle Ron, Fred, George, and Bill. Who else am I missing?"

"Uncle Charlie and Percy," Ginny answered, giving in to her daughter's request. She began with her older brothers, what she could remember of them, and what they were like as she grew up with them. However, the next thing she knew, everything about the rest of her life came spilling out of her mouth. It had been so difficult to explain all of this, but now that she and Holly were on the same page of their lives, the right words filled her mind and she knew it would be hard to stop until she reached the end.

She described nearly everything that she could remember from when the twins cursed her doll to bite her when she picked it up to when she was taken into the Chamber of Secrets and then finally finished with the end of her seventh year, her job at the Ministry, and then meeting the man that would one day be Holly's father. Throughout the story, Holly remained silent, soaking up every word her mother said. It was as though she was watching an artist putting the finishing touches on what would one day be a piece of art. The picture that was being painted, which once had been blank and dull, was finally revealing the mother that she had not understood very well until now.

It was nearing midnight when Ginny finally finished the lengthy autobiography. The clock struck twelve and the loud ringing caused the two red-heads jump and turn towards the mantle where the clock sat, both hands pointing up. "We ought to turn in if we are going to catch an eleven o'clock train," Ginny told her daughter.

"We should," Holly spoke up. "I'm glad you told me this, though. I just can't believe you never told me about your childhood before. You had such an interesting life! Why would you keep it from dad? I would think it would have amused him."

Ginny sighed. "Not many Muggles are very open to the idea of magic. I don't know how your father would have taken it, but I was afraid. Many times, when a Muggle finds that their spouse is a witch or wizard, they tend to leave. Magic is just too abnormal to some people."

Holly looked guilty at her mother. "I was one of them, wasn't I? I thought it was abnormal."

Her mother pulled the young red-head into a long embrace. "You are not one of them," she whispered into her daughter's ear. "You are only learning."

It was awkward for Ginny Miller to step onto the platform for the first time in twelve years without a disguise. She had decided earlier to let her fiery red hair hang down to her shoulders, knowing that it was no use keeping the blonde than she had adopted. Since she had not seen anyone from the Magical community since Christmas, she did not know what to expect and so braced herself for the worst.

Ginny glanced around the platform as she followed her daughter towards the train with Holly's trunk in tow. It was easy to spot members of her family on the other end. The group of red-heads stood out against the rest of the crowd and were gathered together to bid their children farewell until the following June. She could imagine how each of these parents must feel. The idea of not seeing her daughter over the next six months tortured her.

"You will write to me, won't you?" Holly piped up, her trunk already stowed away on the train.

"Of course, Hun," the mother responded, hugging her daughter one last time, "as much as you want me to."

A whistle in the distance announced the train's departure. Holly jumped onto the train, though turning back to wave at her mother. "Thanks for everything, Mum!" she cried and Ginny waved goodbye until her daughter disappeared around the bend.

Ginny stood there for a few moments, still staring at the spot where the train had once been. A touch on her shoulder caused her to jump and spin around. In the process, she nearly ran into Hermione. The brown-haired woman had separated from the group of Weasleys that were making their way back through the barrier or apparating.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said quietly before Ginny could hex the woman. Although she had accepted her fate, she still felt somewhat resentful towards her brother's wife.

"I'm sure you are," Ginny answered coldly.

Hermione bit her bottom lip. "You have a right to be angry with me," she said honestly, "but so do I. You put me in a bad position."

Ginny sighed in defeat. "I know, I did," she answered, her expression softening. "I've been so stupid. I thought I was doing the right thing. Does everyone in the world know now?" As she said this, she eyed the crowd leaving. She could feel some sort of tension as she stood on the platform, though she didn't understand why.

"In a way," Hermione said vaguely. "Do you get the Daily Prophet?"

The red-headed witch shook her head. Hermione handed her the copy of the paper. Ginny had barely glanced at the headlines before she burst with laughter. "Oh really!" she cried, as she scanned through the article. "Hermione, how could you?"

"I've been summoned to a hearing next Friday," Hermione told her with a dark expression. "You need to help me clear this up. Don't you think it's about time you came clean?"

Ginny hesitated before she agreed. It had been unfair of her to do this to Hermione. "I think so," she admitted, then added tentatively, "what did my family say?"

The expression on Hermione's face was unreadable. "You will have to talk to them yourself," she told her.


	22. Chapter 19

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Chapter 19**_

**A/N: **I have that odd feeling that people are either going to love this chapter or hate it. It was a very difficult chapter to write (being that it was a summary of what has happened so far), though I felt it was necessary. Big thanks to all of you who reviewed so far and please bear with me—there is still more interesting things to come!

* * *

Just as Ginny had promised, she arrived just outside of the Ministry of Magic at a quarter past nine on Friday morning. The hearing had been scheduled for ten o'clock in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement on level one, a place that Ginny had often travelled to when she was working for the Department of Mysteries. She had felt confident when she had agreed to meet Hermione in front of the red telephone box, but now that she stood there, a feeling of anxiety welled up inside her.

"You're here," Hermione breathed in relief, holding a cup of coffee and walking briskly towards her.

Ginny looked imploringly at her friend. "You sound like you didn't think I would show up."

The brown-haired woman did not meet Ginny's eyes. "Well, considering your history…" her voice trailed off as she stepped into the telephone box and motioned for Ginny to follow her. "Shacklebolt gave me the number. I never go this way, you know. Oh yes, here it is." Hermione pulled out a scratch piece of paper where five numbers had been hastily written.

"Six…two…four…four…two," she repeated, dialing the numbers on the telephone box.

A woman's voice filled the booth, "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and purpose."

"Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger," Hermione pronounced. "We have a hearing."

Two badges shot out of the machine's change bin, both glittering silver with the Ministry of Magic seal on it. Ginny picked hers up and pinned it to her cloak. "Who is going to be at the hearing?" Ginny asked curiously.

Hermione pulled the lever and the telephone booth began to sink into the pavement. "Ministry of Magic, a few secretaries, Ron, and your father," she counted them off. "It is going to be small."

Ginny nodded, feeling slightly better. As long as it wasn't a room full of witches and wizards, she might be able to get through this without puking. The Muggle world had finally disappeared and the door behind them opened. The atrium was as crowded as Ginny had remembered it when she had worked there. It was like returning to an old home—you never forget what it was like. The two stopped by the security desk where Ginny and Hermione's wands were examined, but Ginny did not breathe deeply until they were riding the elevator up to the first level.

"Do you think they really bought the story in the paper?" Ginny asked incredulously.

Hermione shook her head, though she looked slightly pale. "I really hope not," she muttered. "Though people never believed you ran away, Gin. They have always thought you've been kidnapped, under the Imperius curse most likely. That's why they are taking the article so seriously."

The red-head looked surprised. "They would really think that?" she asked.

"Your family had a big influence in that case," Hermione continued. "Especially since the last time we saw you…you hadn't been acting like yourself."

The elevator door swung open to allow them entrance to the top floor. Hermione and Ginny stepped out and followed the wide hall to the very end where a door was open, leading to a larger room. A small amount of chattering carried out into the hall and Ginny could distinctly hear her father's voice. "This is it," Hermione announced. "Can I trust you to wait out here until you are called?"

Ginny only nodded, her face losing its color.

"You won't run on me, will you?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"I had promised to be here," Ginny said hoarsely.

Hermione took Ginny's hand and squeezed it before she disappeared into the room. The door closed automatically behind her, leaving Ginny in the hallway alone. The red-head looked around for a place to sit and spotted a bench to the left of her. She could not guess how long it would take for them to call her in, but as the minutes ticked past, she found it increasingly hard to keep Hermione's promise.

It felt like ages—maybe it had been—before the door to the room opened up and large man in light blue robes stepped out. His tall figure filled the doorway and a familiar grin was set upon his face.

"Ginny?" the man said in a low, yet calm voice.

Ginny studied the man for a moment before recognizing him. "Kingsley!" she cried, standing up to meet him. "You're here?"

The black man nodded, motioning for Ginny to enter. "And don't worry about the questions. Just be yourself."

The red-head would have found this sound advice, except for when she entered the room there were more than just a few people as Hermione described it. The room was circular with the audience seated around the edges and the defendant in the middle. She spotted her father and brother to the left of the room, but nearly groaned as she found they were also accompanied by her mother, Bill, Fred, George, and Harry. Her eyes did not linger on them for too long. Ginny did not want to know what they were thinking at that moment. Instead, she concentrated on the brown-haired woman who was smiling meekly in the center of the room.

A chair was conjured next to Hermione and Ginny settled herself into it, bracing herself for what was to come. "Are you Ginevra Molly Weasley?" a female voice asked her. She located the source at the center of the room, an older woman with gray hair and a stern face. Ginny could reasonably guess that this was the head of the Magical Law Enforcement department.

"It's Miller now, but yes," Ginny answered nervously.

There was a shuffle of paper and the sound of a quill before the examination continued. "And you have been called here on the sixth of January to this disciplinary hearing for Hermione Rose Weasley?" the questioner continued.

"Yes."

"Are you aware of the charges against Mrs. Hermione Weasley?"

Ginny shifted nervously in her chair. "Yes."

"The court now recognizes Ginevra Molly Weasley-Miller as a witness on behalf of the defendant," the woman announced. Several people began to mutter quietly and Ginny tried to ignore it.

"Ms. Weasley-"

"Miller," Ginny corrected.

"Mrs. Miller," the woman said in a slightly annoyed tone, "are you aware of the situation surrounding the 4th of October twelve years ago?"

_What?_ She thought. _Twelve years ago? What happened twelve years ago?_ Ginny racked her brain, going through the timeline. Fifteen years ago, Voldemort had died and she ended school. She joined the Ministry of Magic for two years…would that be twelve years? Holly was twelve-years-old, but October 4th was before Holly was born…exactly. "That was the day I quit my post at the Ministry of Magic," Ginny answered, proud to have been able to recite that.

"Do you recall the reasons you gave for leaving your post?"

"I wrote down personal reasons," Ginny responded, the situation resurfacing in her mind. "I was pregnant."

The muttering rose again, making Ginny feel uncomfortable once more. She looked at Hermione for reassurance, but the latter was staring straight ahead and refused to look at the red-headed witch next to her.

When the room was silent again, the examiner continued. "Where did you go after you left your post at the Ministry?"

"Where did I go?" Ginny repeated in confusion. "Home, I think."

Some of the people began to chuckle. The woman questioning nearly broke into a smile, though tried to resume her rigid composure. "Let me rephrase," she said slowly. "Did you seek other employment?"

"I did," the red-headed witch admitted. "I was hired at a bookshop. My husband was making enough at the time to support me."

"When were you married?"

"The 19th of March."

"To whom?"

"Alex Miller," Ginny answered promptly. "He was a Muggle doctor working in London. He owned a clinic there before he died."

The woman looked curiously at Ginny. "He died?" she repeated.

"Yes, in a car accident," Ginny said tentatively. She hoped that the woman would not continue on this topic. Though it had been twelve years, this was not a topic that she enjoyed discussing, let alone repeating it to a large room full of people. Yet, there was no such luck.

"How long were you married before he died?"

Ginny tried to count the months since they were married. "Nine months? Ten?" she guessed. "He passed away the Christmas after we were married."

The questioner reshuffled her notes. "You have a daughter, do you not?"

"Yes. Her name is Holly."

"And she is how old?" the woman asked.

"Twelve. She was born on Christmas day."

The room went silent. Everyone seemed to be thinking what the questioner obviously pondering as she took the glasses off of her face and tried to look at Ginny squarely. "Your daughter was born the day your husband died?" the woman asked incredibly.

"Yes, within five minutes of each other," Ginny clarified. Her voice was even, though her gut was urging her to cry. It was enough that she had carried the weight of his death alone for twelve years. Having to repeat to a room full of people who could not understand what she had gone through was worse.

The questioner could sense the uneasy feelings and looked pitifully down at her. "What did you do afterwards?"

"I went to live with my in-laws," Ginny told her. "Holly's grandmother was very helpful with the baby and I was there for several years before I found another job and could support my daughter."

A quiet sob echoed from the left corner of the room. Ginny only glanced over to see her mother covering her eyes with her hands. She could not guess if it was Ginny's story or that she was there at all that was causing her mother to cry, but it wasn't until she had seen the expression on her mother's face that she truly knew what she had done to her.

"Was the defendant aware of your marriage to Mr. Miller?" the woman asked.

Ginny tore her eyes away from her mother to look at the examiner. "Yes," she answered, thankful for the change of topic.

"How did she find out?"

"I told her," Ginny said simply.

"Did anyone else know of your marriage?" the woman persisted.

Ginny hesitated. On the top row sitting next to her brother was Harry wearing a grim expression. It was apparent that it had not been him but Hermione who alerted her family. "Yes," she said, meeting his eyes for a brief second.

"Who?"

"Harry Potter."

The room was suddenly still, though all eyes were now shifted towards the one accused. She could sense the silent anger that he was feeling, though she did not feel regret. Hermione had asked her to come clean and this was what she was doing. Harry was summoned down for questioning which gave Ginny a small break from her interrogation. She took this moment to glance at Hermione again and was relieved when the brown-haired woman met her eyes. Everything is going to be alright, Hermione seemed to tell her.

Harry was grilled for nearly ten minutes on how he knew of Ginny's marriage. He repeated the short encounter that he had had with her the August before she disappeared and how he had not spoken with her until recently this year.

"Why did you not alert the authorities with your knowledge, Professor?" the woman asked him.

"Because Hermione already had," Harry explained. "I did not feel the need to repeat it."

"Thank you, Professor Potter, you may be seated."

Harry returned to his seat next to Ron and did not look at either Hermione or Ginny. From the shocked look on his face when he came down for questioning, it was apparent that he had not expected to be a witness. Now that he was hidden in the crowd once more, the tension rose again and all eyes were back on Ginny.

"Mrs. Miller, why did not alert your family concerning your whereabouts?"

Ginny thought for a moment, unsure of whether she should repeat the words she had given Harry on Boxing Day or come up with better ones. "Because I couldn't," Ginny said.

"Couldn't?" the questioner said in confusion. "What couldn't you do?"

"I couldn't admit to my family that I had made a huge mistake," she confessed. "I couldn't break my parents' hearts when I would have to tell them what I had done."

The questioner studied Ginny's face as if she was an interesting beetle that she had found on the ground. "Then what brought you back to the wizarding world?"

"My daughter, Holly. She received her letter for Hogwarts. I didn't think she would, you see," Ginny admitted. "I always thought she was a squib."

"A squib?" Kingsley repeated from behind the questioner. "With your magical abilities? I wouldn't have ever considered it."

A few people laughed softly and even Ginny realized how absurd the idea sounded. "I didn't know," Ginny defended herself. "Holly never showed any magical behavior before. I was shocked when she did get her letter. I thought it had been a mistake."

Some of the people nodded understandingly, though others just looked very amused making Ginny wish she had never mentioned it. "Did you tell anyone of your return to the wizarding world, Mrs. Miller?" the questioner continued.

"No, I did not. I disguised myself very well to match my daughter…er…well, until a bad charm turned her hair red." She glanced at George as she made this comment. Her brother only looked sheepish, though the expression on his face reflected his entertainment of turning his niece's hair red.

"How did Mrs. Weasley learn about your identity?"

Ginny turned her eyes away from George. "From my mother-in-law. They ran into each other at the library where my mother-in-law works and she informed her."

"How long ago was this?"

"Two months?" Ginny guessed. "It has been a while."

"Why do you suppose Mrs. Weasley has not come out with this information before now?"

"Because I told her not to," the red-head informed her. "I wasn't ready to tell and I still am not, but here I am. Hermione was doing me a favor." Ginny turned to face the brown-haired woman next to her. "I'm sorry for making you do that."

Hermione nodded, but did not say anything. The calm expression in her eyes was the only sign that Ginny had been forgiven.

"Why did you-" the questioner began.

"I think that is enough," Kingsley announced, interrupting the interrogator. "It is plain that Ms. Ginevra Miller was in no way harmed or bewitched by Mrs. Hermione Weasley. This hearing is being dismissed at twelve hundred hours."

Ginny let out a sigh of relief for the first time in the last two hours. She turned to see a large grin on Hermione's face as the latter stood up and embraced her husband as the latter rushed down to meet her. A few witches and wizards passed by, giving Ginny their condolences for her husband and welcoming her back to the wizarding world. This was the very last thing she had expected from anyone as she knew she deserved a good kick for what she did.

Her mother and father were the last to approach her. It was an awkward moment as mother surveyed daughter, neither knowing what to say or what to do. "How could you?" her mother said, attempting to dry her tear-stained face.

"I'm sorry," Ginny mumbled. "I really am."

"Keeping my own granddaughter from me!" Mrs. Weasley cried with more tears running down her cheeks. Before Ginny knew what was happening, her mother grabbed her and crushed her in her arms. "Oh, Ginny! Ginny!"

Tears of relief flooded from Ginny's eyes. She had expected to be disowned. She knew her brothers would have done that with her just as they had done with Percy. Yet, her mother was forgiving her as if it was nothing, as if she hadn't broken her mother's heart with the news that she was dead. Ginny did not feel that she deserved to be forgiven.

"Please, Molly, you're suffocating her," Arthur stated, a hand on his wife's shoulder.

When Ginny was finally released from her mother's arms, she turned to her father who appeared to be solemn and calculating. His reaction was much more different and less forgiving. "I'm sorry, Dad," she told him.

"I know," he said quietly. "We have all made mistakes in our lives and I won't deny that this was the biggest one I have seen yet."

Ginny nodded, drying her eyes on her cloak. "I know."

"What have I always told you?" he asked her.

"To use my head," Ginny repeated, wondering if she was going to receive a lecture.

"Yes," he said, though with a warmer expression. "And that we love you no matter what." He received his daughter in his arms and held her much more gently than his wife had. Ginny knew that this did not mean he had completely forgiven her, but it was a start.

"I love you, too," she mumbled in his aged cloak.

It was with a bright expression on her face that she left the courtroom and found Hermione, Ron, and Harry standing just down the hall. Hermione beamed at the site of the red-headed witch, though the reaction from the other two was quite the opposite.

"Hello," she greeted them.

"Thank you so much, Ginny!" Hermione said, giving her a quick hug.

Ginny released her brown-haired friend and turned toward the other two. Ron and Harry looked coldly down on her as if she was a piece of filth they had found in the basement of Number 12 Grimmauld place.

"Ronald! You can at least say something!" Hermione said to her husband.

"It's alright, Hermione," Ginny interrupted. "They have a right to be mad at me. I will just see you later on." Just as quickly as she arrived, Ginny left not wanting to make the situation worse. It was bad enough getting Hermione and Harry involved into the conflict. She knew she deserved every last bit of anger they could muster towards her.

Hermione rounded on the two boys. "You are being childish!" she accused her husband.

"And what was she being? Mature?" Ron countered.

"More than you are being right now," Hermione told him.

"Well, I'm sorry if I can't forgive my sister just as quickly as you can," Ron answered grimly.

His wife bit her lip, testing the words in her mind. "And how do you suppose I am supposed to forgive you for all of your blunders when you can't forgive anyone else?"

"That's different," Ron dismissed. "I didn't do what she did!"

"But I can certainly choose not to forgive you all the same!"

The two stared stubbornly at each other neither wanting to give up but forced to when Mr. and Mrs. Weasley approached them, interrupting their argument. "Harry!" Mrs. Weasley cried, crushing the raven-haired man in her arms. "I didn't expect you to be here. What about your classes?"

"Professor McGonagall gave me the day off," Harry answered politely. "She took over my morning and afternoon class while I attended the hearing."

"That was very nice of you," Mrs. Weasley told him. "Where did Ginny go?"

"Home," Hermione answered.

Mrs. Weasley looked slightly put out. "I was hoping to invite her for lunch. I want to become reacquainted with my daughter again."

Ron looked disgusted at the thought while Harry merely appeared to be withdrawn. Hermione gave the pair another stern look before offering to fetch Ginny herself. She found the red-head relaxing on the sofa of her flat and with some crafty persuasion on Hermione's part, was convinced to meet her family at the Burrow. To Ginny's relief, the only guests were her mother and Hermione while the boys dined elsewhere. Ginny suspected this was at her mother's request, though could not be sure.

While the lunch went as smoothly as anyone could hope, there was still a barrier between the three women. It would be a long time before anyone could truly forgive what Ginny did and she understood that. She was just thankful that her mother hadn't murdered her, that Hermione was still talking to her, and that she did not run after Hermione had exposed her. The voice that had kept her from running had been right. Hermione had been right. Everything was going to be ok.


	23. Chapter 20

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Chapter 20**_

**A/N: I know that I don't usually go back in time when writing chapters, but I felt this was necessary since the next few chapters will be focusing on Holly. A big thank you to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate the comments and support!

* * *

**

Holly boarded the train, immediately set on finding her three best friends. Half-way down the train, she located them laughing merrily in a compartment by themselves. She slid open the door and closed it quickly behind her as she tried to make room for people behind to pass around her.

"Have a good holiday, Holly?" Cynthia asked brightly.

The red-head grinned in reply. "I did, yes," she answered. She tucked her small bag of belongings underneath her seat before sitting down next to her fellow Gryffindor and best friend.

"Daniel and Michael were just telling me about your mum," Cynthia said. "I mean, I read the Prophet, but I couldn't be sure until-"

The confused look on Holly's face caused her friend to pause mid-sentence. "In the Prophet? What are you talking about?" she said carefully.

Cynthia reached into her school bag and pulled out the Daily Prophet article from the previous week. Unfolding it, something immediately caught Holly's eye. Ignoring the captions and the article beneath it, her brown eyes lingered on the moving photograph. She gawked at the long, red-haired witch that was her mother, young and beautiful with sparkling eyes and a playful grin on her face. It was not unlike the picture she had seen in the Trophy Room. Both girls had the same the look of joy and confidence that Holly had never seen reflected on her mother's face since she could remember. Had her mother really been this happy?

The fifteen-year-old Ginny embraced the boy next to her and kissed him lightly on the lips. The boy smiled before returning the kiss with an elated expression on his face as if feeling privileged to have this particular girl resting in his arms. Holly turned away from the picture and stared at the headlines for several minutes before taking in the meaning.

"What?" she exclaimed. "What does this mean, 'Best friend hides Potter's long lost love?' What does that have to do with my—_is that Professor Potter and my mum?"_ The significance of the picture hit Holly and left her stunned in her seat. Her mother had told her about her family, about her childhood, but she had managed to leave this bit of information out. Why? It was apparent by the actions of the two young teenagers that Ginny was more familiar with her Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher than Holly was lead to believe.

Michael cleared his throat. "It's a load of crack pot Dad says," he inserted while Holly hastily scanned the article. "He reckons the Prophet is always looking for a story."

"Of course it is," Cynthia agreed quickly. "Your mum would never do that."

Holly didn't look up until she finished the last line. Her expression was unclear, a mix of anger, confusion, and uncertainty. "Me? The daughter of Harry Potter?" she said out loud, more to herself than to her friends.

"Ridiculous, right?" Daniel added lightly.

"I don't know," Holly said, looking at the picture again. "My mother never talked about dating him. Do you think that this is the reason why she never mentioned-?"

Cynthia looked doubtful. "I can't see why your mum would lie to you about your father."

"She's lied about a lot of things," the red-head returned. "Until a few months ago, I didn't even know this world existed."

"But he can't be," Michael spoke up. "The story was made up. Dad said it wasn't true."

Holly looked hesitant. "I never met my dad," she whispered. "He was supposed to have died minutes after I was born. What if he was made up…and this was my real father…what if…"

At first the idea was ludicrous, but the more Holly thought of having a living father the more she tried to convince herself that there was a possibility of it being true. She had always secretly desired having her father, knowing him and being able to see herself in him. Yet this dream had been taken away from her when he died. Was there a chance that Alex Miller was not her father and that her real father was still living and didn't know about her?

She brooded on this thought for the remainder of the train ride back to Hogwarts and it became apparent as the four Gryffindors exited the train at Hogsmeade Station that she wasn't the only person to be thinking about the article. On the platform, Holly became suddenly conscious of the feeling that she was being watched. She sped up her pace and hurried forward to one of the carriages. Cynthia, Michael, and Daniel followed in her wake and once they climbed settled inside Holly slammed the door shut.

"What's wrong, Holly?" Cynthia asked in concern, taking note of Holly's apprehensive appearance.

Holly shook her head. "I don't know, but I…I think people were staring at me," she finished lamely. It sounded less serious when she finally said it, but on the platform it had frightened her.

Michael laughed uneasily. "Stare at you? What kind of rubbish is that?" he said.

"I know it sounds stupid-" Holly began.

"Even if they were," Daniel interrupted her. "Why are you worried about it? People stare at us all the time."

"Yeah, but-"

"Don't worry about it," Michael dismissed her. "I doubt anyone read that article."

How true Michael's advice proved to be was soon challenged when the four stepped into the Great Hall for dinner. All eyes seemed to follow Holly as she sat down at the Gryffindor table and attempted to hide between the twins. When she looked around her, flashes of the picture that Holly had seen hours ago on the train were now beaming at her from every direction. Contrary to what the twins had believed, it looked as though everyone had read the article.

Holly turned her attention away from the whispers around her and stared at the head table. She spotted Professor Potter in conversation with Professor Longbottom. The look on her teacher's face was strained as though he was using every ounce of concentration to keep his mind focused on something other than the students. Was he thinking the same thing Holly was thinking? If only he looked at her…could give her some kind of confirmation…

But he did not. Half way through dinner, he left the hall without a second glance behind him which caused more whispers follow. This did not help. The blatant gawks in her direction had become extremely annoying and Holly left shortly after Professor Potter did. Michael, Daniel, and Cynthia were not far behind and they found her curled up by a window on the far side of the common room.

"I didn't think-" Michael began, but a stern look from Cynthia stopped him.

"We can always ask Professor Potter," Cynthia suggested.

Holly shook her head. "Ask him what? If I'm his long lost daughter?"

"If the story is true!" Cynthia added. "You have a right to know!"

"If I should be asking anyone, it should be my mum," Holly responded uncertainly.

"But didn't you say so yourself that your mum has lied to you before?" Daniel pointed out. "How would you know she was telling you the truth?"

Michael nodded in agreement. "You need to hear this from a reliable source and Professor Potter has never lied."

"If this really bothers you, Holly, you should ask," Cynthia said more gently.

Holly continued to look out the window without really seeing. Her mind was whirling with a constant flow of thoughts traveling around her brain in no particular order. She didn't want to believe any of it. It would be a huge blow to the fragile relationship that she now had with her mother. Hadn't it been just that morning that things had felt normal and peaceful at last?

"I'll think about it," she mumbled with a sigh. "I'm heading for bed."

"But it's barely seven-" Daniel protested

"Yes, and it's been a long day and I'm tired. Good night." Before the other three could stop her, Holly was climbing up the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

"Let her go," Cynthia advised, her eyes still staring at the spot where Holly had vanished.

Daniel and Michael exchanged looks. "We have Defense Against the Dark Arts tomorrow," Michael reminded them. "Do you think she'll say anything?"

"Whether she does or not," Cynthia replied, "we'll certainly learn _something_." She raised an eyebrow at the other two before following Holly up into the girls' dormitory for the night.

* * *

If Holly found the previous evening frustrating, it was nothing compared to the following morning. For four months, no one paid her any notice. She was just another Gryffindor first year making her way through her classes, trying to be just as successful as the next student. However, this cold Thursday was anything but ordinary.

"Ignore them," Cynthia muttered while Holly shrugged off several third years that had stopped her on her way to Transfiguration. Four times that morning, people had approached the red-head, asking if the article was true. Each time, Holly walked away grumbling curses under her breath and gripping her wand tightly.

"You try it," Holly snapped back as she entered the Transfiguration classroom and slammed her bag on the table in the very back of the classroom, away from curious eyes. "Why won't they just leave me alone?"

Cynthia looked hurt. "I'm trying to help you," she responded sadly.

Holly bit her lower lip, but did not look at her friend. "Sorry," she muttered.

Neither said a word to each other during the rest of the lesson which only consisted of lecture notes. Holly found it very difficult to concentrate although she knew that she couldn't risk falling behind. She had worked so hard to catch up in the class it would have all been a waste of time if she didn't keep up her effort. Yet, the article kept creeping back into her thoughts, rehashing the story that she initially found ridiculous but now was destroying her concept of what was true and fabricated.

She was the last to exit the class with the twins and Cynthia waiting just at the end of the corridor. The worried expressions on their faces reflected their fear of her exploding before the day was out. Holly felt suddenly guilty. "Flying next?" she said with a smile.

Michael looked slightly relieved. "Yeah," he answered. "Think you'll be able to fly around the pitch without falling off this time?"

Holly stuck her tongue out at him. "I am a very capable flyer," she said with mock confidence.

A gasp came from over her shoulder. "Did you hear her? She is! She is a Potter!" someone cried from behind her. The voice faded, traveling the opposite direction. Feeling quite humiliated and frustrated, Holly pulled her cloak out of her bag and disappeared underneath it, refusing to take it off until the four had reached the pitch.

"Why don't you just say you're a Potter and get it all over with?" Daniel suggested.

Holly glared at him. "You think I should lie to them?" she said in an affronted tone.

"Well, yes and no," Daniel stammered.

"Just tell everyone what you think they want to hear," Michael added.

"That's lying!" Holly and Cynthia cried together.

Before either of the twins could respond, Madam Hunt blew her whistle to signal the beginning of class. The boost of confidence that Holly had felt moments before seemed to disappear as the red-head settled on of the broomsticks. Just like Transfiguration, her ability to fly had also digressed, though she attributed this to not having ridden a broom for several weeks. The class finally ended when Holly had nearly ran into one of the Quidditch poles and instead crashed into Ryan Leedom. Luckily, they were not far off of the ground when they hurled straight into it.

"Sorry, Ryan," Holly apologized from the ground.

Ryan helped her up and brushed the dirt off of her robes. "No problem," he answered, turning away quickly and taking his broom to the other side of the pitch where Madam Hunt was standing.

"Well done, well done!" the flying instructor praised her students. "That was excellent…er…almost excellent flying." She gave Holly a disappointed look causing the latter to blush with embarrassment.

Holly grumbled as she left the pitch, her cloak once again covering her head. The other three Gryffindors did not say anything as they entered the Great Hall for lunch. The silence lasted all through lunch, only broken when Holly grunted angrily at random students that dared to look her way.

"You can't keep grumbling at people," Cynthia scolded her.

"Yes, I can," Holly said with defiance. "If they keep looking at me then I am allowed to grumble at them back."

"That's childish."

"I'm only twelve. I have time to mature later."

"That's not going to help anyone," Cynthia argued. "Do you think people will stop looking at you if you grunt at them? That's only going to reinforce the rumors!"

Holly glared back at Cynthia who did not respond.

"Well, we have Defense Against the Dark Arts next," Daniel said lightly.

There was a sound of metal banging against wood and then silence. The color had drained from Holly's face and she was left speechless. She had nearly forgotten about Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"If it's not true, then you have nothing to worry about, Holly," Michael encouraged her.

Holly did not register a word of what he said. Her body slid from her seat and settled itself on the floor under the table. Three pairs of eyes peered under the table at her. "I can't go," she croaked. "What if he says something? What if-"

"You have to go!" Cynthia protested. "You can't miss class!"

"Yes, I can."

"No, you can't," the twins said together.

"We have a test next week," Daniel added. "If you miss this class, you'll fail the test."

Holly's eyes grew big, the whites of her eyes glowing in the shadow of the table. The wheels were turning in her head. Did she miss class and avoid the tension that would mount when she entered the class room or did she go and save herself from failing?

"You have to face him some time," Cynthia pointed out gently.

The red-head nodded, but showed no other sign that she truly heard what Cynthia had said. When the time came to go to class, Holly felt her body moving there without her. Her stomach cringed, aching as she tried to fight off the sudden anxiety that she now attributed to her Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

Cynthia pulled Holly into a seat in the back corner, though this did not discourage her classmates from turning around in their seats to examine her. Instead, it worsened when Professor Potter entered the classroom and Holly chose to hide herself behind a book.

"Divide into pairs," Professor Potter said casually as if his students were not acting unusually. "We will be practicing the counter-jinxes to the curses we learned last term. Now, remember the wand movements and do them with confidence. If you hesitate, your spell will be less effective."

Holly and Cynthia paired together in the back of the classroom. Cynthia started by attempting to hex Holly and then giving the counter-jinx to release her from the spell. This kept Holly preoccupied until Professor Potter came by their duo, praising Cynthia at her excellent pronunciation. The sudden presence of her teacher caught Holly by surprise and the next spell sent at her caused the red-head to fly across the room.

"Stay on your feet, Miller," Professor Potter advised her before walking away.

Cynthia gave Holly an apologetic look. Holly got up and Cynthia released her once more. When it came time for them to switch roles, Holly did not do as well as her partner. Towards the end, her anger and frustration got in the way. She was angry with the person who wrote the article for causing the turmoil. She was tired of the way people were gaping at her as if she was some kind of unusual creature. And now she was going to be behind in her classes and would spend the next few weeks relearning everything she had struggled with in the last month! With each angry thought, her wand swooshed through the air and came down with curse after curse unaware that each was hitting their target in the chest.

"_Cruricero! Mordax! Scaberum! Labo! Aurivello! __VOLO RICOCHETUS!"_

The sudden attack caught Cynthia off-guard. Her legs melted beneath her weight before she was hit again which caused her scream in pain followed by a curse that caused her to scratch violently. The next spell sent Cynthia to the ground followed by the Twitchy Ears Hex and finally the Bouncing Charm which resulted in Cynthia appearing to do an odd dance while she bounced off the ground and shrieked in agony. The classroom stopped their progress to watch the action.

Holly was about to cast another curse when several pairs of hands grabbed her from behind and pulled her away. She looked behind her to see the twins and Ryan Leedom holding her back while Professor Potter stepped forwards. _"Finite Incantatem,"_ he muttered and Cynthia dropped with a thud, panting. Her face was as white as a sheep and she was looking frightened around her. Her eyes settled on Holly who had stopped struggling with the twins and was looking back at her best friend in shock. Neither could understand what had happened.

Professor Potter helped Cynthia up from the ground and indicated to the twins. "Take her to the hospital wing," he told them. "Class dismissed! Except Miller, I would like a word."

The class filed past her, still astounded by what had happened. Holly, on the other hand, stood rooted to the floor, her wand still firmly in her right hand and staring at the spot that Cynthia had laid on moments before.

"Miller?" Professor Potter called to her once the last person exited the room.

She turned her head to face him. He was now sitting behind his desk looking more tired than she had seen him before. Holly struggled to make her body walk the distance from the back of the classroom to the front. As she reached the desk, her eyes refused to look at her teacher and instead she stared at a silver gadget that lay on the wooden surface.

"What happened?" Professor Potter asked, more gently than Holly expected.

Holly shook her head, not knowing how to answer. She could not begin to describe what came over her except that something had exploded inside her and she felt an increasing amount of guilt knowing that her best friend was in the hospital wing because of her.

"Sit down."

It wasn't a command, but a suggestion. Professor Potter had conjured a chair behind her and Holly sat. She hadn't realized that her body had been shaking until the soft chair steadied her balance. Once she had relaxed, she looked up at her teacher and saw the concerned look on his face.

"I'm sure you've noticed the article that's circulating," Professor Potter began, his green eyes boring down into her chocolate ones.

Holly looked uneasy. Could he be reading her thoughts? Did he know what was going through her mind that she was feeling doubtful about everything that she had once believed as truth?

"I saw," she answered slowly.

"Do you believe it?"

Holly looked taken aback; the question was not what she expected. Who cared if she believed it or not? The person with the answer was standing right in front of her!

"Well, not exactly," Holly admitted. "But I don't know anymore. I never met my father."

Professor Potter nodded understandingly. "I never met my parents, either," he answered. "But you need to know: the Prophet is known for their fairy-tales. I am afraid this is one of them."

Holly remained silent, soaking in his words and the relief and disappointment they had provided. He was not her father; her mother had been telling her the truth. It was a bittersweet satisfaction, but it eased the growing tension in the room. "Why would they write it, then?" she asked.

"For a story," her teacher responded. The confused expression did not leave Holly's face and so he continued. "It has been known that I had once dated your mum, though only briefly. It was before I left on a mission. She was only fifteen. We haven't been together since.

"Your mum had disappeared later on suspicious circumstances. It was just a few months after I returned to England. There were rumors, of course. Some people thought I was involved with her departure, including the Prophet. This article was intended to explain your mother's return with the rumors that everyone believed."

"So you weren't involved with my mum before she left?" Holly asked tentatively.

"No, I was not."

Holly released a lung-full of air that she hadn't realized she had been holding. His explanation made sense, though it did not answer all of her questions. However, she was forced to resolve that his answers would have to suffice. It was apparent by the finality in her teacher's tone that their meeting was over. She stood up and Professor Potter followed her towards the door.

"I must warn you," her teacher said before she could leave the classroom, "not to lose your temper again. People are going to keep asking questions, but it will die down. Just keep your head cool."

With a nod, the two parted at the door. Holly headed towards the hospital wing to where she knew she would find her three Gryffindor classmates. Professor Potter, however, turned back into his classroom and prepared for the group of fifth years that would be arriving next. Despite his many attempts to turn his thoughts towards his lessons, the conversation between him and Holly still rang in his ears. She had never known her father and even if it was for a fleeting moment, she had played with the idea that it could have been him. He knew it wasn't possible but he couldn't seem to stamp out the idea that, no matter how much he despised Ginny, he would have very much have loved to play that role.


	24. Chapter 21

_**Only Half-Weasley**_

_**Chapter 21**_

**A/N: **I know a lot of you have been waiting for this chapter. It's been a while since I last updated, but since then I've applied to graduate this fall from University, gotten engaged and will be married next summer, and have also been asked to be in two weddings. Needless to say, I'm very overwhelmed. On a good note, I wrote this chapter today and have already started on the next one so it won't be such a long wait between chapters.

Thanks for everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate the support. Hopefully this chapter will make the wait worth it.

* * *

While a sense of relief had filled Holly after her conversation with her Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, it did nothing to stop the whispers that seemed to follow her that first week of school. Before the end of the week it became common knowledge that Holly was indeed the daughter of Ginny Weasley, despite there being no mention of Holly in the Daily Prophet. If anything, this added to the young redhead's popularity as she could not go anywhere without people asking whether she really did live in a shack with Muggles or was forced to eat raw cows. These inquiries finally ceased after several sixth year Weasleys took it upon themselves to escort Holly to her classes. It was on one of these afternoons between classes that Ryan Mason made an attempt to catch Holly on her way to Charms.

"What do you want, Mason?" Caleb Weasley growled to the young seeker.

The third year turned slightly pale, but did not step away. "A word with Miss Miller, if you don't mind," he said rather boldly.

Two of Holly's cousins flanking her crossed their arms. "Not allowed, Mason," one of them answered. "Not unless you want to be a target."

"I have a note from Professor Potter," Ryan responded, holding up a rolled up piece of parchment. Holly's name was penned across the top in the teacher's familiar scrawl. At this, the Weasley brigade backed off.

"It's fine, guys," Holly told them. "You go ahead. I think I'll be alright."

The Weasley cousins hesitated before moving on without their ward. It wasn't until they disappeared at the end of the corridor that Ryan finally turned to face Holly. They were now alone.

"Have a good holiday?" Ryan said nervously.

"Yeah," Holly replied, wondering where this was going.

Ryan nodded. "Great," he said with a smile. "Look, Professor Potter wanted me to give you this note. I think it's about flying—if you still wanted to continue the lessons."

"Oh!" Holly said. She had almost forgotten about her flying lessons in the chaos that erupted after the Daily Prophet article had come out. "Yeah, I'd like that."

The blond-haired seeker beamed. "Cool," he said, "I'll see you tomorrow night, then."

Holly did need to read the contents of Professor Potter's note to know that it contained the information for their next flying lesson and, just as promised, she found herself wrapped in her warmest cloak in front of her Defense Against the Dark Art teacher's door.

"Enter."

Just as she had every week the previous quarter, Holly opened the door to find her teacher bent over a stack of parchment. "Evening, Miller," he greeted her. "Ready?"

"Yep," the eleven-year-old responded. Professor Potter covered her in his invisibility cloak and together they made their way to the Entrance Hall where they met Ryan Mason who was dressed in Quidditch gear.

"Hello, Professor," Ryan greeted his Head of House as he did each week. To the rest of the school, it appeared as if Ryan Mason was being given private training from Harry Potter who was a known Quidditch star and superb flyer. It would have never crossed their minds that the reason for these meetings was to help a first year and Professor Potter was determined to keep it this way. "Are we ready to continue our lessons?" Ryan said.

Professor Potter nodded and the three exited through the front doors, Holly careful to follow Ryan's footsteps in the snow. They arrived at the Quidditch Pitch a few minutes later, Holly a little tired from having to step so precisely. However, once they reached the pitch, a surprise was waiting for them.

"Harry!" Madam Hunt called to them from the center of the pitch. Professor Potter and Ryan stopped so quickly that Holly nearly ran into them. She had to cover her mouth to keep from screaming in fright under the cloak. "I heard Mason got a new broom for Christmas. I thought I'd stop by and see how it flies." She beamed at Ryan who looked away, his face turning red.

"Er…thanks, Jane," Professor Potter said nervously, "but this is a private training session."

Madam Hunt laughed. "I hope you're not afraid me!" she answered. "Besides, Gryffindor's next game is coming up in March and it wouldn't hurt to see what tricks are up your sleeve."

Professor Potter did not say anything. It was apparent to Holly that this little visit was out of his control. As the flying instructor, she also ran the pitch and it would have been very suspicious for Professor Potter to seem too eager for Madam Hunt to leave. Instead, he turned to Ryan. "Let's start with the first formation," he told him.

If Ryan found the instructions confusing, he did not let on. He mounted his broom and soared in the air, doing a lap around the pitch before breaking and moving in a spiral towards the ground. "Good!" Professor Potter told him after his eighth spiral. "Now move on to the fourth formation."

Ryan stopped midair and turned around, bobbing up and down in the air as he flew around the pitch. Holly watched in silent amazement while Madam Hunt whooped and hollered as Ryan completed stunt after stunt. There did not seem to be a pattern to his moves and at some points, Holly wondered how exactly he would use these moves to catch a fast snitch. But this was the least of her worries. After an hour and a half of standing in the same spot in the freezing snow, Holly's limbs began to freeze and she found herself wishing she had kept inside in the warmth of the castle.

"I think that will do," Professor Potter said satisfactorily as Ryan landed several feet away.

"Spectacular!" Madam Hunt added enthusiastically. "Hufflepuff won't stand a chance!"

Ryan turned slightly red as he rested his broom on his shoulder and turned to leave the pitch. Madam Hunt followed leaving Professor Potter and Holly to trail behind. "I apologize," Professor Potter whispered. "That was not expected."

"I know," Holly answered as she followed in Ryan's tracks back into the hall.

"We will need another plan for next week," he added. "Take the cloak with you back to the common room and follow closely to Ryan. You can drop it off at my office tomorrow."

Holly nodded, though knew that Professor Potter couldn't see her under the cloak. They remained silent until they reached the Entrance Hall. Here, Holly quickened her pace to catch up to Ryan Mason while Professor Potter went down another corridor and out of sight. On the fourth floor, Ryan stopped.

"You there?" he whispered.

Holly stopped just behind him. "Yeah," she replied.

"Care to go for a ride?"

Her heart stopped beating. "What?" she whispered.

"Care to go for a ride?" Mason repeated.

Holly didn't answer. How was she to respond? Professor Potter had just told her to go to the common room and the statement was clear enough…yet, she couldn't help that small portion of her that screamed for her to answer 'yes.' She could get into so much trouble! She could be expelled! Yet…what were the chances?

"Sure," Holly responded quickly.

Ryan groped behind him until he grabbed a piece of the invisibility cloak and pulled it over him. Even with the two students, the cloak was large enough to cover both of them and instead of heading back to the common room they walked back towards the Entrance Hall.

Once they were outside, the two made sure they were a little ways from the castle before they took the cloak off. Ryan mounted his broom and motioned for Holly to sit in front of him. With the cloak wrapped around both of them, no one saw Ryan and Holly kick off the ground and fly through the sky. For Holly, it was thrilling and frightening at the same time. She looked down at the broom but saw nothing. She was nothing. They were nothing. Ryan seemed to sense her fright and held to her tighter.

"Keep looking forward," he advised. "We'll be fine."

Holly did as he instructed and felt a sense of comfort come over her. They were flying above the forbidden forest now and Holly was in control. Ryan's new broom was fantastic, even more responsive than his last broom. It gave her more confidence, more daring, that she decided to try a few tricks of her own.

"Whoa!" Ryan cried as Holly jerked the broom around. "Don't try to kick me off!"

"What? The Gryffindor Seeker can't hold on to his broom?" Holly teased.

Ryan laughed. "Sure, I can—"

The broom gave a jolt beneath the two Gryffindors. "What was that?" Holly said, her face turning pale.

Ryan shook his head. "I don't know, but we had better get back. We're far away from the school—"

The broom jolted again, but this time it knocked Holly off of it. She reached out and grabbed Ryan's foot. "RYAN!" she screamed.

Ryan reached down, inches from grabbing Holly's hand, when an invisible force knocked into Holly causing her to lose her grip. She was falling and screaming, her face staring at the sky and the invisible broom that she knew was up there. She could hear Ryan's voice calling back to her, but it did not bring hope.

No, Ryan was not going to save her this time. She was going to die. She would fall forever through the black sky and then she would hit the ground and die.

Holly closed her eyes and braced for the impact, but when it came, it did not crush her. She landed on something soft just before she could hit the ground. It was soft and flying, though descending back into the trees. Holly held her breath. What had happened? She could see the trees grow around her until the thing she was on finally settled on the ground with a 'thump' causing Holly to slide off the side and onto the ground. A surge of pain from various parts of her body echoed their distress and Holly gasped with each throb as she tried to sit up. She wanted to see the object that saved her life, but when she looked, there was nothing!

She turned her head frantically left and right. There was nothing around her, nothing in sight, and yet she was not dead. How was that possible? Holly tried to stand up, but pain shot through her right leg and she fell back to the ground. Where was Ryan? Would he come down to save her? She remembered back when she was in the sky and had been looking at the ground. The forest was dark. Where would he begin? Could she yell to get his attention? However, when she looked above her, the night sky was hidden behind the layers of trees. No, she doubted it. Fate was not on her side. If she was not going to die from the fall, she most certainly was going to die from being stranded out in the middle of the forest.

Left with nothing else to do, Holly held her left leg to her chest and rested her head on it. She closed her eyes and waited. She didn't know what for, but it was all she could do. Any hope she had was quickly leaving her.

* * *

Ginny walked into the bookstore she worked at, a coffee cup in one hand and a copy of the Muggle newspaper under her arm. It was a part of her daily routine to open the shop and spend the first few hours reading the paper until business picked up. She was about to settle into this routine when the jingle of a bell startled her. Ginny looked up to meet a pair of familiar green eyes and took a step back.

"Harry, what are you doing here?" she asked suspiciously.

The wizard looked disheveled and frightened with dirt in his hair and all over his robes. "Holly is missing," he told her.

Ginny froze. "What?" she said incredulously.

"She went off last night for a broom ride with a third year. Something hit their broom and knocked her off. She fell into the Forbidden Forest." Harry paused before adding in a whisper, "Ginny, she could be dead."

The world stopped. Time stopped. How could this happen? She tried to speak, but words failed her. She could only look at Harry in disbelief. Could this be a lie? A prank to get back at her? But that would be childish. Harry would never do that. No, the more she looked at him, the more she knew that he was telling her the truth.

"No," she finally breathed, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. She leaned against the wall behind the cash register and covered her mouth. "No."

Harry approached her and gently pulled her back on her feet. "You need to come to Hogwarts," he told her. "Everyone is searching for her and Professor McGonagall would like to speak with you."

Ginny shook her head. "I need to go find her. I need to go find my daughter."

"Ginny, we are looking—"

"That's not good enough!" she shouted.

Harry jumped in surprise. Ginny moved away from him to grab her cloak and then make a quick phone call before turning back to the wizard. "She is not dead," she said determinedly. "She just can't be. If no one else can find her, I will."

"Ginny—"

"DON'T GINNY ME!" she screamed. "I've already lost my husband. I can't lose my daughter." And with that, she left the store through the back door and Apparated with a small 'pop.'


End file.
